Shot In The Dark
by Kitkat10595
Summary: When Voldemort's greatest weapon is stolen, he will stop at nothing to get it back and exact revenge. But his targets won't go down without a fight. H/G, contains coarse language, mature themes eg. sexual situations, violence etc. Rated M for a reason!
1. Summary

**Disclaimer: **

JK Rowling is very rich because she owns Harry Potter. If I owned Harry Potter I would be very rich too. Unfortunately, I'm not rich. Therefore I don't own Harry Potter. All credit for recognisable characters, themes, places etc. goes to JK.

**Summary: **

Voldemort has mostly taken over the wizarding world, sending members of any resistance groups into hiding. Many have been captured or killed and many more are missing. His greatest weapon has been stolen from him and he's hell-bent on getting it back and exacting revenge on those who took it from him. Meanwhile, his targets are doing everything they can to bring him down.

**Important info:**

This is an AU story

Lily survived the Halloween night and Harry was never marked with the scar and they went into hiding along with Sirius

Harry never met the Weasleys

The story is set in this day and age, to make all technology references etc. accurate. Everything has been brought forward about 10 years

**Warnings:**

This is a darker story

It will contain mentions and/or descriptions of torture, rape and sexual scenes

There will be detailed descriptions of violence

There will be coarse language

Now that you have been duly informed of everything I can think or right now and I will add to it as I see fit, please enjoy the story!


	2. Escape

_Its too late there is no way around it_

_You have seen it yourself many times_

_In the end you will give up the fighting_

_Unescapable_

**Chapter 1: Escape**

* * *

><p>Ginny raised her head wearily as the door to the cell slammed open and several black-cloaked figures entered. The door shut again with a soft click and she heard the quiet mutters of several locking spells. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself for what she knew was coming. One of the figures stepped forward, letting his hood fall off his head. He leered at her, raking his eyes up and down her body, smirking as she glared at him.<p>

Her eyes flicked around to the other two men in the room, their heads now uncovered as well. They stood back from the first, one leaning nonchalantly against the wall. All three were between her and the door, not that there was any chance of escape. She'd tried numerous times when she was brought here, to no avail except once after which she had been severely punished and the security upped to extreme levels. But even if none of that was the case, Ginny knew she was in no physical condition to attempt a breakout.

The leader of the group stuck out his hand to one of the others, who placed a whip in it, wicked barbs placed on the end. Ginny closed her eyes in relief. The pain would be excruciating she knew, but it was better than the hot rods they sometimes used, or the cruciatus curse. That was on of the worst, the pain was like nothing else, filling her entire body and threatening to overwhelm her mind. Ginny knew people had lost the use of their brains after prolonged exposure to the curse and that was the one thing that terrified her more than death. To become entirely dependent on others, locked away in her mind, little better than a vegetable.

No, she much preferred the Muggle forms of torture often used. And the whip also meant they were unlikely to be doing anything else. The rape was second only to the cruciatus on the list of torture forms Ginny hated the most. It made her feel violated, unclean. It was that, as much as anything that had nearly broken her.

She was jarred back to the present by the sting across her back, the feel of metal biting into her skin. She hissed a little in spite of herself. She always did her best not to emit a sound, to keep her facial features composed out of defiance to the death eaters. But every now and then her resolve crumbled a little and she let out an involuntary sound.

The man wielding the whip sneered at her, derision clear on his face. She spat at him, pleased when some landed on him. His face darkened and he growled before swinging the whip again. Ginny tilted her head up, staring at the ceiling. She retreated into her mind; trying to get away, to forget the pain, pretend she was in a better place. In all the time she'd been there, that was the one thing she had retained control of; her mind. Not yet had it been broken, it was the one thing that remained entirely hers. Sometimes she feared she was losing it, going insane, but it was what she clung to.

The pain faded away as she took herself back home, back to the ramshackle, several storey high building she called home. Happy memories of family and friends flashed before her eyes, and she willed herself to wake up, that it was all a bad dream. But she knew it was futile, this was reality and there was no escaping it.

Loud explosions penetrated the escape she had created for herself, and she turned her head, confused. The death eaters spun around, the whip falling from his hand. The leader barked an order and the door was opened, the three men rushing out although not before the one who had been torturing her gave her a parting slap to the face. She felt the blood trickling down her cheek and her back from the whip cuts and the door slammed shut, the sound echoing through the now silent cell.

For a brief moment, Ginny entertained the hope that maybe, just maybe, someone had come to rescue her before she remembered just what they would have to get through to reach her and the small flame died out. They would die or end up imprisoned long before they reached her.

She waited, how long she didn't know. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. She listened for anything that might give her clues as to what was going on but all she heard were more explosions that sounded like they were on the opposite side of the building to her. Occasionally a really big one would cause thing to shake slightly, her chains to rattle and tiny pieces of debris to fall from the ceiling but that was it. She almost wished they would hit closer to her; it might cause her chains to come loose from above and give her a reprieve from being strung up by her wrists.

After what seemed like an age, a new sound caused her to come to attention. It was a quiet scraping on the other side of her cell door, and she pricked her ears, straining to make sense of it. There was a soft whirring noise, then the click of a lock and the door quietly swung open. Ginny stared in shock as a man moved through the doorway, a strange metal object in his hand raised in front of him.

* * *

><p>Harry darted through the corridors, gun raised. Every now and then he cast a glance behind him to check he was alone. No one came. Sirius had executed the distraction perfectly, and the death eaters were too confident that no one could possibly infiltrate their stronghold. He skidded around a corner and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd come to the right place. He approached the door. As to be expected it was locked, although to his surprise with a muggle lock rather than a spell. He shrugged. Made his job that much easier. The death eaters were getting careless.<p>

He pulled two objects from one of his jacket pockets, inserting them into the lock. A few seconds later, he heard a distinctive click. He pocketed his lock picking tools and raised his gun again, opening the door and stepping into the room.

Harry wasn't sure what he had been expecting to find, but it certainly wasn't this. A red haired girl was staring back at him. She was hanging from the room, shackles around her wrists which were scraped and bloody, chains running up to a steel ring in the ceiling. He realised with a start she was naked, obviously undernourished and covered in wounds, some old and others fresh, barely two hours old. Swiftly, he pulled out the same tools he had used on the door and placed the gun back in its holster. He could raw it back out in a second if he had to.

Stepping over to the girl, he reached up and fiddled with the locks on her shackles. Muggle style again. It was a bit ironic really. For a group of people all for blood purity and dominating non magic folk, they seemed awfully fond of using muggle means of restraint, not to mention torture from the looks of the girl's wounds.

It wasn't long before he freed the girl, gently lowering her to the ground. She crouched down, evidently trying to cover herself as much as she could despite the fact he had already seen everything, although not intentionally. Harry shrugged off his jacket and pulled his shirt off, offering it to the girl, who he estimated to be about his own age. Hesitantly, she took it, a slightly puzzled expression on her face as she slipped it own.

Harry knelt down beside her, putting his jacket back on. "Can you walk?" he asked softly. She bit her lip uncertainly before nodding. Harry had his own doubts about it, but stood and offered her his hand. After a second or two she took it and he helped her to her feet. She took one shaky step before collapsing. Harry darted forward, catching her before she hit the ground. Gently, he picked her up. He would have to carry her but she weighed barely anything. She wouldn't be a burden.

They slipped out of the cell, Harry 's gun raised once more as he made sure no one was around. The corridors were still empty and he moved off as quickly as he could, trying not to jar the girl too much. He looked down to check on her and was alarmed to see her breath coming in shallow gasps; her eyes staring into his. They were a deep chocolate colour and Harry thought that under different cirumstances it would be easy to lose himself in them.

"I'm going to get you out of here alright?" he told her quietly and she nodded, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. He pressed his gun hand to his ear, checking the earpiece was in place and working.

"Sirius? I'm on my way out."

"I've nearly got the wards down. Give me another minute or two and you'll be able to apparate out."

"Alright. Once they're down you get out of there."

Harry doubled his pace. If Sirius couldn't get the wards down he would have to leave the building to apparate. He was nearly 100% certain their plan would work but something could always go wrong and if that was the case, Harry wanted to be as close to the nearest exit as possible. They'd worked too hard for too long to get in here and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of him returning to base with the girl. Why she was in their highest security cell he had no idea. Obviously there was something special about her that Voldemort wanted.

"Pup, the wards are down. You've got death eaters heading your way, get out of there now."

Harry closed his eyes and focussed on his destination. He heard shouts and one or two curses being fired but nothing hit them and they disappeared, leaving the corridor empty save for the cloaked figures that had just arrived.

They rematerialised in a warm, well-lit room. A tall dark haired older man was already there.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed on seeing what Harry had arrived with. "_That's _who was in there?"

Harry nodded. "I don't know why they wanted her, but she's in pretty bad shape."

Sirius nodded. "Get her upstairs. Your mum's got the guest room prepared as an infirmary. Whether it was for anyone we brought back or for you I'm not sure."

A small smile played across Harry's features. He was somewhat surprised his mother had never turned his room into a permanent hospital. He seemed to attract an awful lot of injuries. But this time he was without and as the girl stirred in his arms he remembered why he was even thinking about hospitals. He took to the stairs, entering the first room on his left where his mother was waiting.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "Are you-"

"I'm fine mum," he said quietly. "But she's in pretty bad shape."

Lily's eyes flew to the figure he was placing gently on the bed and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my," she breathed before composing herself. She turned to her son and pointed at the hallway. "Out," she said.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you don't want a hand?"

"No, I imagine she's been violated enough and regardless of whether she conscious or not, she doesn't need a man in the room while I tend to her."

Harry saw the sense in her words and nodded, backing out of the room and pulling the door shut. He padded back down the stairs, flopping down on the couch next to his godfather.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Please review!<p> 


	3. Talk

_I'm looking for a place, I'm searching for a face_

_Is anybody here I know?_

_'Cause nothing's going right and everything's a mess_

_And no one likes to be alone_  
><em><br>_

**Chapter 2: Talk**

* * *

><p>Harry straightened in his chair as his mum came down the stairs. It had been several hours since he'd left her with the girl and he was anxious to find out how she was. He was surprised that she had been alive, let alone conscious after the injuries she had sustained. He didn't know how long she'd been locked up, but it had to have been months. Nudging Sirius awake, he watched his mum as she sank into a chair.<p>

She was exhausted, that much was obvious. The healing must have taken a lot out of her. Her eyes were closed and her face pale. There were bloodstains on her arms and hands, and her shirt. Silently, he rose from his seat and moved to the kitchen, retrieving a plate of left overs and heating it with a quick, wordless spell. Lily opened her eyes and he handed her the plate, giving her a small smile. She returned it before turning her attention to the food.

Hunger taken care of, Lily took a deep breath and looked at her son and friend, both watching her expectantly.

"Is she…" Harry started, suddenly afraid the girl hadn't made it. Lily nodded.

"She's alive. Barely. I can't imagine what they did to her. She was tortured and starved, that much is obvious. I can't tell what physical methods they used on her, but I can tell they had a fondness for the cruciatus curse.

Harry sucked in a breath. He'd been placed under that a few times himself. The pain was beyond belief and he knew what the consequences of prolonged, frequent exposure to it could be.

"And that's not the worst of it," Lily continued. There was no way to soften the next piece of news. "She was raped." She stated bluntly. "Repeatedly."

Both Sirius and Harry's faces darkened at that. There had been little chance of it not happening of course. The girl was young and attractive and the death eaters had no morals or sense of decency. To them, taking a woman against her will was a game, a hobby for their spare time.

"Surprisingly her mind seems to be intact and show no signs of having been broken in to. There was a wall all around it, I doubt even you could get past it."

Harry started a little at this. "You-" he began but Lily cut him off.

"I know…but with everything else, I had to check," she said softly. Harry leant back, nodding slowly. His mother hated looking into other people's minds. She thought it was an invasion of privacy. Harry tended to agree, although he was more relaxed about it. If it needed to be done though, Lily usually called upon him. He was the stronger Legilimens out of the three of them.

"So she's going to be ok?" he asked. Lily nodded.

"I think so. There will be emotional trauma of course, and her physical injuries will take a little while to heal, even with magic. She had several broken bones including her ribs along with everything on the outside. She's lucky there was no real internal damage. But I've not a clue who she is. Did you get a name?"

Harry shook his head. "Didn't even think about asking. I doubt she would have been willing to share anyway. After everything that's happened it'll be hard for her to trust anyone with information, even her name."

"I want to keep a watch on her tonight," Lily said. Sirius nodded his agreement. "For when she wakes, or in case she needs anything."

Harry stood up. "I'll do it, you need rest."

Lily sighed. In her opinion Harry needed rest far more than she did, after all he was the one who infiltrated the enemy's headquarters. But her son was the most stubborn person she'd ever met, even more than his father and there would be no dissuading him. "Alright," she said softly. "But come get me if there's a problem alright?"

Harry nodded, walking over and embracing her briefly before turning and heading up the stairs.

Lily looked over at Sirius. "The girl is what you went for isn't she." She said flat out. Sirius nodded.

"We didn't know it, but yes, she's what Voldemort was so keen to protect." Lily shook her head incredulously.

"What can a girl like that possibly be, or have done, for him to go to such lengths to ensure her imprisonment?"

Sirius shrugged. "We may find out when she wakes. At the very least we need to find out who she is."

* * *

><p>Harry seated himself in the armchair next to the bed. His shirt from earlier was lying on the floor, dark red stains covering it. Lily had found some clothes for the girl to wear and she was sleeping peacefully in the bed. Harry studied her face. Thin and gaunt it may have been, but he could imagine that when in good health she would be quite beautiful. There was a light dusting of freckles over her nose but her skin was clear otherwise. Her hair was a dark orange, streaked with red and gold, although dirty, matted and in desperate need of a cut.<p>

Instinctively, Harry felt himself drawn to her. He made a silent promise that he would keep her safe, that he wouldn't let any more harm come to her.

Harry jerked awake. A slight noise, out of the ordinary had penetrated his sleep and he was trained to wake on such disturbances. He berated himself for drifting off in the first place. He was meant to be watching the girl. He flicked his gaze over to her, to find it had been her who woke him. She was stirring and as he lit the room with his wand, he saw her eyelids begin to flutter open.

Ginny jerked fully awake and stared around the unfamiliar room and at the man in the chair. She bolted upright and scooted as far away as possible, pressing her back against the wall. She let out a hiss of pain as she did so, pressing a hand to her side. She looked down, surprised to find she was clothed and she could feel a bandage wrapped around her ribs.

She looked back at the man in the chair. He seemed vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't recall having seen him before. As she stared, the memories came tumbling back. Being tortured, the death eaters rushing off. A man, the one now in front of her, breaking into her cell and freeing her, giving her his shirt then carrying her out. She gasped, a hand flying to her mouth.

"Hey," he said softly. "Its alright, you're safe now, I promise."

Ginny looked at him warily. Part of her wanted to believe him, that he wasn't going to hurt her, that he really had rescued her, but the rest of her said it was a trick on the part of the death eaters, a cruel play on her mind.

"I-you-" she stammered. "You…rescued me?"

He nodded. "My name's Harry," he told her. "My mum took care of you when we got back here."

"I-thank you." Ginny said. She so desperately wanted to believe that this was real. As she processed what was happening, she took the chance to take a closer look at the man who called himself Harry. He was about her age, tall with tanned skin and dark, messy hair. His eyes were a brilliant emerald green and he was fit and well muscled. Under better circumstances she imagined she would be quite attracted to him. But the main thing she noted was his face. It was different to those she had grown accustomed to seeing. There was no cruelty there, no permanent sneer. His face was kind, one she would like to be able to trust. At least with her name.

"I'm Ginny," she said quietly. He smiled at her and it lit up his face.

Ginny thought back over the events of the past day and frowned slightly. There was still something she didn't understand.

"What was that thing you had in your hand?" she asked. Harry raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not understanding her question. "When you came into my cell," she elaborated. "You had something in your hand and you acted like it was a weapon."

Harry's confusion cleared. "Oh," he said. "You mean this?" And he pulled the same object from his belt. Ginny nodded. "It's a gun. Muggle weapon."

The name rang a bell and Ginny vaguely remembered her father talking about them once. "Why weren't you using your wand? You're obviously a wizard if you're referring to muggles."

Harry hesitated; unsure whether he should tell her. With a slight shrug, he made his decision. "Voldemort," he was pleased to see she didn't flinch at the name. "Has some seriously complicated wards around that place that tracks all the magic used. Any magical signature that isn't keyed into them immediately triggers an alarm. I couldn't take that chance. We use a lot of muggle technology. It can't be traced with magic, and it confuses the hell out of the death eaters." Harry grinned slightly at that. If there was one thing he never got sick of seeing, it was the look on their faces when they tried to figure out exactly what he had done when he used muggle things. "Plus a bullet is a hell of a lot faster than a curse. And at close range, the bullet will reach its target before they can put up a shield. And most shields won't stop a bullet in any case."

Ginny nodded slowly. She could see the use in that and realised that muggle technology was far more advanced than most wizards every dreamed of.

"Do you need anything?" Harry asked. Ginny shook her head. She was fine, and she finally believed she was safe. She gave a small smile.

"I'm ok," she said.

"Do you want me to leave?" Harry asked, thinking she might like some space after everything she'd been through.

Ginny bit her lip. She really didn't want to be left alone, but she didn't want to be any trouble either. "I…would-would you mind staying?" Her voice trailed off at the end, so quiet Harry could barely hear her.

"Of course not," he reassured her. "Anything you want or need, just let me know ok?"

Ginny nodded, grateful to him. Slowly, being careful not to aggravate any of her injuries, she slid back under the covers, closing her eyes. Soon she was breathing deeply and evenly. Harry felt an enormous sense of relief. She was alright, he knew her name and she trusted him enough to ask him to stay and watch over her.


	4. Trust

_Now I'm a walking contradiction_

_So tell me what's wrong with this picture_

_Cause anyone can see this is only permanent_

_Temporary so don't hurt me this time_

**Chapter 3: Trust**

* * *

><p>Sunlight filtered through the curtains, falling in patterns across the bed. Harry yawned. He hadn't slept at all since he'd spoken with Ginny and he could feel it catching up to him. Glancing over at her, he saw she was still sleeping peacefully. He stood and stretched. No matter how comfy the chair might have been, spending a night in it wasn't his idea of fun. Invariably you ended up with a sore neck or back. Or both, in his case that morning.<p>

Quietly he padded out of the room, closing the door behind him as softly as he could. Heading down the stairs, he frowned slightly as he realised there was no sound coming from anywhere in the house. Usually both his mum and Sirius were up by now. None of the usual morning smells were emanating from the kitchen either. Skipping the last step, he turned into the kitchen to find a note on the table.

_Harry,_

_Sirius and I have gone to run some errands. We should be back for lunch. If the girl wakes, she needs dittany on her injuries. There's a bottle in the bathroom._

_Love, Mum_

* * *

><p><em>The room was dark and cold, with a damp feel to it. Ginny shivered, huddling in the corner and wrapping her arms around herself, trying to keep as much warmth in her body as she could. Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside and she shuddered. They were coming for her again. She took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for what was coming. She would <em>not _cry or scream, or give them any satisfaction from her reactions to the abuse. She was determined._

_The door was flung open; two large was one smaller, slimmer figure entering. Despite the size of the other two, it was clear the smaller was the leader. He motioned with his hand and his cronies walked over to her, dragging her to her feet and leading her to stand in front of the other man. He smiled thinly, the expression barely visible in the shadow of his hood, then inclined his head to his followers. _

_They shoved her to the ground and instantly Ginny knew this was no ordinary torture session. Something else was happening and she was frightened. They held her down by her wrists and ankles, proceeding to tear the last rags of clothing off her body. She struggled, fighting to free herself but they were too strong and she was weak from abuse and little food. _

_Removing his hood and revealing his all too familiar identity, the leader smirked at her. She snarled at him. He laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed and ran his eyes appreciatively over her. He began removing his clothes and Ginny redoubled her efforts to break free but to no avail._

"_Feisty," he sneered. "Just the way I like them."_

_The death eater holding her ankles forced her legs apart as her soon to be violator unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants to the ground. Ginny closed her eyes, willing herself away from this living hell. A tiny tear leaked from the corner of one her, escaping the lid. He laughed again, a snort of derision at her. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to stay silent but when he plunged into her it all flew out the window and she screamed, thrashing, trying to dislodge him._

_The tears were flowing freely now but she kept her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't look; she couldn't watch it happen to her. If she kept them shut, just maybe she could pretend it was all a horrid dream, and any moment now she would wake up in her bed at the Burrow._

* * *

><p>Ginny woke with a scream, kicking the covers off in an attempt to banish the feeling of being trapped. Harry dropped the glass of juice he was about to drink, not even heeding the fact that it smashed on the floor as he bolted up the stairs. He pushed the door open, skidding to a stop inside.<p>

"Ginny?" he asked cautiously, taking in her figure huddled against the wall next to the bed. She turned wide, terrified eyes on him and he forced himself to stay where he was. Much as he wanted to try and comfort her, after everything she'd been through and after waking up from what was no doubt a nightmare, he had little doubt any move towards her on his part would do more harm than good at this stage.

She refused to meet his gaze, instead dropping her head to her knees. She shuddered and her body began to shake as gut-wrenching sobs tore out of her. Harry was at a complete loss. A horde of death eaters, risky missions, life or death situations he could handle, but a sobbing, terrified girl who didn't trust him? This was way out of his comfort zone or experience. He wished his mum were there, she would know what to do.

Ginny's breath was coming in shorter, more ragged gasps, bordering on hyperventilation. She was killing herself and Harry realised he had to do _something _else he'd have a hell of a lot of explaining to do, not to mention a dead girl on his hands. The shock of everything was obviously setting in and was proving too much for her fragile body and state of mind.

Coming to a decision, he moved swiftly across the room. He scooted across the bed next to her, drawing her towards him and cradling her in his arms. He whispered to her, mindless babble, whatever came to mind. To his immense relief, her breathing slowly steadied and the sobs gradually lessened. She was still shaking but it seemed the worst was over. He continued to hold her, stroking her back gently and crooning in her ear.

Ginny took one deep, shuddering breath then another before slowly lifting her head. For the first time, she actually seemed to realise that Harry was there beside her and she was in his arms. She jerked away like she had been burnt and he let her go. He wanted her to trust him but it would have to happen in her own time and on her own terms.

Harry stayed put and watched her as she shifted away from him, putting a somewhat comfortable distance between them.

"You gonna be ok now?" he asked softly, immediately wishing he hadn't. What sort of a question was that? Only one an insensitive idiot would ask.

"No," she said softly then lifted her gaze to meet his. "Not yet. Maybe someday I'll get through it if I keep fighting."

Harry nodded. That was a good sign; she still had the will to fight, to push it behind her. It seemed Ginny wasn't easily broken, and the months of torture and imprisonment hadn't robbed her of all her strength and resilience. He knew she must have been in incredible girl before the misfortune took her. Most people would have crumbled under the treatment she had received in weeks, days in the case of many.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered. Harry blinked slowly.

"Anything you need," he replied. "That's what I promised you and I intend to keep that promise."

The tiniest hint of a smile danced in the corners of her mouth but it was gone so quickly Harry wasn't entirely sure he had seen it. But he wanted to believe he had seen it.

"D'you want to take a shower?" he asked. Despite his mum's best efforts to clean her up last night, there was still a thick layer of grime coating her skin along with dry blood that only a good scrubbing would get rid of.

Ginny hesitated for a moment; she wasn't sure she could get out of the bed, let alone walk and stand in the shower and twist her body to reach everywhere. But she felt horrible dirty, she'd not had a chance to clean herself up the entire time she was locked up.

"I-yes please," she said. "But I'm not sure I can…" she trailed off, hating to admit any weakness. Harry cottoned on to her meaning. She hadn't been able to walk when he rescued her; the chances of that having changed simply due to sleep were slim.

"I'll carry you if you like," he offered. Ginny nodded, and he stood up then bent down and gently scooped her into his arms. He closed his eyes briefly when she flinched at the contact, even though she knew he meant no harm and was only helping her.

He'd noticed last night that she weighed very little, and it took almost no effort to get from her room to the bathroom. She was painfully thin; he could feel every bone in her body sticking out. He was sure his mum had some potions that could help with that and of course she would be well fed, although she probably wouldn't be able to stomach much until her body accustomed to eating properly again.

Harry set her down on the stool in the bathroom and rummaged around in a cupboard for a clean towel and the bottle of dittany his mum had mentioned. He also checked to make sure there was women's shampoo and conditioner within easy reach in the shower. No matter what she'd gone through, Ginny was still female and would no doubt want to give her hair a thorough wash as well.

Satisfied he'd gotten everything ready for her, he made to leave. Halfway through the doorway, he paused and turned back around.

"Umm…do you need a hand with anything?" He flushed slightly. He'd felt compelled to ask but felt awful for doing so. It was highly unlikely she'd want him in there when she was undressed, regardless of how sore she was. Most girls wouldn't anyway and Ginny had had far more than her fair share of being exposed.

Ginny shook her head. She appreciated him asking but she really didn't think she could deal with that right now. She knew he'd already seen her naked, but now that she had the chance for privacy she craved it.

"No, I'll be fine I think."

Harry nodded. "I'll be just outside if you do need anything," he told her before fully exiting and closing the door softly behind him.

Ginny winced as she undressed then shuffled with the stool into the shower. No way would she be able to stand. She turned the water on, flinching a little as it hit the many scrapes, cuts and bruises all over her body. She sat there for what seemed an age, letting the water soothe her aching body before setting about scrubbing the areas she could reach without pain, gently removing as much dirt as she could.

She eyed the shampoo bottles. Her hair was in desperate need of a wash but she was pretty sure she wasn't capable of lifting her arms up and behind her. Sighing in resignation, she called out to Harry, thankful for the frosted glass on the shower cubicle. She heard him enter the room and asked for her towel as she turned off the water. It appeared within her reach over the stall door and she took it, wrapping it around her body making sure as much was covered as possible.

Ginny pushed open the door, contemplating her next move.

"Need a hand?" Harry asked. She bit her lip and nodded. Just like before, he picked her up, bringing the stool with her as well.

"Harry…"

He looked at her questioningly.

"My hair," she said, hoping he would get the message and she wouldn't have to embarrass herself any further. He nodded in understanding, and gestured for her to lean back against the vanity so her hair fell in the sink.

Harry turned the tap on and fetched the necessary bottles from the shower. Gently, he massaged the shampoo into Ginny's hair, working it through as thoroughly as he could. He rinsed it out and repeated the process with the conditioner. Occasionally she gave a soft sigh. The first time he had stopped in alarm, worried he had inadvertently hurt her or done something wrong. Then he realised she was enjoying the massage she was getting along with the wash and he continued his work.

Once he was finished, he wrapped a towel around her hair and gave her a small smile. To his delight, Ginny smiled back, a faint upwards tug at the corners of her mouth. Harry grabbed the bottle of dittany.

"Mum said you need to put this on any external injuries," he told her. Ginny nodded and looked to be on the verge of saying something. When nothing came forth, Harry broke the short silence.

"Will you be right with that on your own?" Studying her face, he realised that was the crux of the matter. She wouldn't be alright with it on her own, she couldn't reach everywhere in her current state. But she was loth to ask for help, especially as it meant revealing at least some of her body to him, something she couldn't possibly be comfortable doing at this point in time.

Ginny sighed and dropped her gaze from his. "I can't-I can't reach…" she was struggling to get the words out and Harry stayed quiet, waiting for her to compose herself.

"C-could you do my back?" The request was so soft, barely a whisper that harry wasn't even sure he'd heard it.

"Your back?" he asked, making sure he'd gotten it right.

"Please," she said softly. Ginny adjusted the towel, baring most of her back to him but making sure everything else was covered. She turned to face the mirror, her cheeks flushing red. Harry was as uncomfortable as she was. Her first and foremost instinct would be to protect herself from prying eyes, and here she was, being forced through circumstance to let him in. He had no doubt that if his mother were here Ginny would be asking for her help rather than his, but as it was Harry was the only one around, trapping Ginny in a decision not of her making.

He poured the contents of the bottle onto a soft cloth and gently began rubbing it into the cuts and bruises, some faint and old, other fresh, some still bleeding a little. As he moved from one to the next and saw the extent of what she'd gone through up close, his expression darkened. He couldn't fathom how anyone could be so cold hearted as to inflict such pain, but obviously such people existed. It furthered Harry's resolve to rid the world of them, to destroy Voldemort.

Ginny hissed occasionally as the dittany stung some of the more recent wounds. Harry's eyes met hers in the mirror, making sure she was alright with what he was doing, seeking permission to continue. She granted it wordlessly and he carried on until he was done. Placing the bottle and cloth back on the side of the sink, he helped her wrap the towel back around herself tightly.

"I'll go find you something to wear, you're about the same size as mum," he said quietly, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Ginny gave another soft sigh and dropped the towel, examining herself in the mirror, the first one she'd looked in since she was taken. Her pale, gaunt face stared back at her, her long hair in desperate need of a cut. He bones stuck out everywhere and what little skin was visible beneath the wounds was white.

She grabbed the bottle and cloth Harry had left and proceeded to apply the dittany to the rest of her body. Just as she finished and replaced the towel around herself, there was a knock on the door and Harry's muffled voice came through.

"Ginny? Can I come in?"

"Yeah," she replied. He slipped inside, placing some clothes next to the dittany.

"Anything else you need?" he asked. She shook her head. He'd already done too much for her, and for no real reason. "Ok," he said softly. "Let me know when you're ready and I'll help you downstairs to get something to eat."

Ginny nodded her thanks and he left her again to get changed in privacy. She had no idea where all this was going to lead, but she was free now, free to live her life, free to find her family. And she owed it all to Harry.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the delay! I had it mostly written then had some surgery on an old injury so have been out of action for a couple days.<p>

A/N: I know it may seem a little weird for Ginny to be so trusting of Harry so soon and with letting him see her the way she did, but Ginny is practical if nothing else, and she knew she needed help.

Please review!


	5. Introductions

_Cause we are broken, what must we do to restore_

_Our innocence and the promise we adored_

_Give us life again_

_Cause we just wanna be whole**  
><strong>_

**Chapter 4: ****Introductions**

* * *

><p>Ginny sat at the kitchen table, slowly making her way through a slice of toast. Food was a novelty for her, especially anything hot and fresh. She'd survived for months on mostly mouldy scraps that the Death Eaters had fed her, and a few potions they shoved down her throat on occasion. When Harry had asked her what she wanted to eat, she'd thought briefly of the breakfasts her mum used to prepare; bacon and eggs, sausages and pancakes. But when she toyed with the idea of requesting that, her stomach had churned and she'd realised there was no way she could have eaten more than a bite or two before throwing it back up. So instead she was eating dry toast.<p>

A glass of pumpkin juice was placed in front of her and she looked up from her plate to see Harry plop into the seat across from her. She gave him a small smile, something that took far more effort than it should have, something that was almost a foreign concept. Imprisonment and torture gave one little to genuinely smile about.

"Mum and Sirius should be back soon," Harry said by way of starting up some sort of conversation. Ginny swallowed a bite of toast before replying.

"Sirius? You call your dad by his first name?"

"Oh…he's-he's not my dad. He's my godfather." Harry said quietly. "My dad died when I was a baby, I don't really remember him other than the stories I've been told."

Ginny wished the floor would open up and swallow her. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just assumed…"

"Its alright," Harry gave her a sad sort of smile. "You couldn't have known."

"But I shouldn't-"

"Ginny, its fine. Really. I came to terms with it all a long time ago."

She looked at him a little doubtfully but he seemed sincere. Not knowing what else to say, she took another bite of toast. The sound of a door opening and closing accompanied by voices reached her ears, and she looked towards the entrance of the kitchen. Harry turned around and looked in the same direction.

A slight woman entered, with fiery red hair that was a few shades darker than Ginny's own. Her eyes were a startling green, the same green as Harry's she realised. Ginny turned her attention to the second arrival and her eyes widened. This couldn't be happening. The toast fell from her fingers to hit the floor and Harry turned back to her as she let out a shriek.

"Ginny?" Harry asked, taking in her frightened face. She was trembling, and he looked around in some confusion. Lily and Sirius wore matching expressions on their faces. He looked back at Ginny and followed her gaze to realise she was staring at Sirius. Understanding hit Harry, and he cursed softly under his breath.

"Sirius," he said quietly. "You need to leave."

His godfather turned a bewildered expression on him. "But…"

"Sirius," Harry bit off, more sharply than he'd intended. A quick glance back at Ginny showed her entire body shaking violently. "Just go, I'll explain later."

The older man, with a final, quizzical glance at the other three occupants of the room, backed out of the kitchen, disappearing up the stairs.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry moved around the table to Ginny.

"Harry?" Lily, who up to this point had remained silent, asked. He shook his head briefly at her, focusing on the girl in the chair.

"Ginny," he said softly. She seemed not to hear him, her eyes staring after Sirius. Harry knelt of the floor and took both her hands in his own. "Ginny," he repeated. This time it got through to her and she looked down at him, heaving a huge, shuddering breath.

"H-he…" She gasped out and for the second time that morning Harry recognised the signs of shock setting in. He stood up, and gently lifted her into his arms, making his way into the living room and motioning for Lily to follow them. He placed Ginny on the couch, sitting next to her. He was surprised, and a little touched when she burrowed into him, sobbing softly. Her thin hand clutched at his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted his shoulders in a tiny shrug in response to his mother's arched eyebrow.

Gradually, Ginny began to take some deeper breaths and she pushed herself off Harry's chest, but didn't bolt away from him like last time and stayed within the circle of his arms.

"I-I…" she began.

"Shh," Harry told her. "Its alright Gin," he surprised himself by shortening her name, and by the way her head snapped up, it had taken her surprise as well. "He looks a lot like someone you know doesn't he," Harry continued softly. She nodded. Her first thought when the man had entered the room was that she was still captured and the whole ordeal of the past 24 hours had been a cruel joke. But when Harry had told him to leave and called him by a different name, Ginny had realised that wasn't the case, and the man simply bore a coincidental resemblance to another whose face had filled her with dread every time she saw it.

"You knew Regulus Black," Harry went on, and again Ginny nodded, hiding her face in his shirt again. Harry looked over at his mother, her eyes mirroring his. Sirius wouldn't take this well. Despite everything that already went against the contrary, Harry's godfather still held out a tiny vestige of hope that his brother hadn't completely gone to the dark side. A tiny flame that would be snuffed out forever now.

"Sirius is his brother," Harry told Ginny and he felt her tense. "But I need you to understand, he's nothing like them. At all," he said a little more forcefully than he intended, causing Ginny to look back up at him. "Can you do that for me?"

Ginny bit her lip and nodded and Harry breathed a soft sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Vaguely he registered the feeling of the other end of the couch sinking down as his mother sat on it, but he kept taking deep, measured breaths, forcing himself to calm down, to cool the anger bubbling up inside him. Anger at the other Black brother for following the rest of his family down the path of the dark. Anger at every witch and every wizard on the dark side. Anger at what had been inflicted upon the girl in his arms. He forced himself to concentrate on her, and as his rage settled, he realised how _right _it seemed to be, to have her in his arms. A strange feeling settled over him, something he couldn't name and didn't understand and it scared him a little.

Ginny sat up a little and Harry opened his eyes to find both her and his mother staring at him, giving him odd looks. He raised an eyebrow.

"You just zoned out completely," Lily said.

"Oh," he replied.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," Harry told her. His arms unconsciously tightened around Ginny a little and his mother gave him a piercing look but dropped the topic.

"It seems you've forgotten your manners," Lily said, a smile dancing in her eyes.

"What…oh!" Harry remembered he hadn't actually introduced the two redheaded women to each other. "Gin," he'd used the nickname again and briefly he wondered how it had become such a natural, instinctive thing to do, "this is my mum, Lily Potter. Mum this is Ginny."

"Ginny…?"

Harry looked down at Ginny, realising she'd never told him her last name.

"Weasley," she said softly. "Ginevra Weasley."

"Weasley," Lily said thoughtfully. "Molly and Arthur?"

Ginny straightened, pulling away from Harry as she did so, and he let her go, a little reluctantly. "They're my parents," she said. "Do you know them?"

"They were in the Order with us many years ago, before we were forced into hiding. You weren't born yet, but they had a son who must be the same age as Harry. We haven't had any contact with them for eighteen or so years. How are they?"

"I don't know," Ginny said, her face falling a little. "Before-before I was taken everyone was fine, but now, I don't know, I don't know if any of them are still alive." Her eyes glistened with tears, but she kept them at bay, and Harry thought, not for the first time, that she must be an incredibly strong individual.

"I'll see what we can do to find them," Lily said.

"Thankyou," Ginny replied. The three sat in silence for a few minutes, during which time Ginny removed herself from Harry completely. Immediately he missed the contact, but knowing what an enormous amount of trust she must have placed in him to have sat there for as long as she did, he said and did nothing. She needed time and space to heal.

After a while, Harry spoke again, a little hesitantly but he knew he needed to broach the topic.

"Ginny…we need to know. Why did the Death Eaters have you under such high security? You weren't exactly what we expected to find in there." He smiled apologetically to show he meant no offense. She nodded, a tiny jerk of the head to show she understood.

Ginny appeared to be fighting a fierce inner battle as to what she would tell them. Harry and Lily sat silently, not pushing her and letting her take her time. Eventually she sighed and looked back at them.

"Because I'm not just an ordinary witch," she said, so quietly Harry could barely hear her. She held her hand out in front of her; fingers closed over her palm and she slowly opened it. She frowned, and stared at her hand before dropping it and placing her face in her hands.

"Ginny," Lily began.

"I can't," the younger woman said.

"You can't what?" Harry asked.

"I just can't," Ginny sounded frustrated and she lifted her head. "And I can't tell you if I can't show you…you wouldn't believe me, or understand."

Harry didn't try to contradict her. She needed to do this her own way.

"You body probably isn't strong enough to do what you want it to," Lily said and Ginny sighed, nodding and slumping back against the couch. Lily stood. "I'll go brew some nutrient potions for you. They'll help you regain your weight and strength faster. And if you like I can help you do something with your later on. And I'll explain everything to Sirius."

"Thanks," Ginny said, this time managing a smile. Lily returned it before leaving the room.

Harry looked at Ginny a little uncertainly. "Do you want me to go so you can have a bit of time to yourself? Or I could take you back to your room…"

Ginny shook her head. "I'm fine here. And you can stay if you like. I-I think I'd appreciate the company. It keeps my mind off…things."

Harry nodded, relaxing in his seat. "Anything you need," he reminded her.

* * *

><p>Sorry it's been a little while since the last update! This one's a bit shorter, although the last one was longer than normal!<p>

Just as a side note, I have a bad habit of getting characters together early on in stories and its always a bit forced, so most of my writing never makes it for eyes other than my own. So this time round I'm really trying to do my best to slow things down and build the relationship between Harry and Ginny properly. So they will get together in the end, I have most of it planned out in my head.


	6. Explanations

****_You can't be too careful anymore_

_When all that is waiting for you_

_Won't come any closer_

_You've got to reach a little more_

**Chapter 5: Explanations**

* * *

><p>Ginny looked around the room, noticing for the first time some strange contraptions. Most prominent was a large, flat box type object that appeared to be a type of screen, sitting a cabinet. Either side were shelves full of novel sized objects, yet they weren't books. On top of the cabinet was another box like thing, with buttons and a small screen. At the top of this box a section was protruding that was thin and flat, with a circular object sitting on it. On the floor next to the cabinet were more boxes, these identical and seemingly made from a material that was solid yet with hundreds of tiny holes in the surface.<p>

On the coffee table in front of her were a few more items. One was silver, rectangular and slender, and looked to have hinges on one end. Cautiously, Ginny leaned forward and lifted the top. She jumped when a screen lit up, going blue for a second then changing to show little picture with names underneath. On the other part of the contraption were many black shapes that seemed to be some sort of button. Most only had a letter or number inscribed on them but some had words and strange symbols. Below that was a smaller rectangular part that served no purpose Ginny could think of. Investigating the rest, she discovered that two sides had various holes, some rectangular, some round and on one side, a long thin slit. As she closed it again, completely bewildered, she noticed the top had the symbol of an apple on it, and it was now lit up.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the other strange thing on the table. It was small and rectangular. Turning it over, she saw the back had the same apple symbol. The front was another screen, with one button down the centre. Ginny pressed it, and found it too lit up. She leaned back against the couch and turned to Harry.

"Harry, what is all this stuff…" she trailed off as she realised he'd fallen asleep, head tilted upwards on the top of the couch, mouth open a little and snoring softly. She realised, somewhat guiltily that he mustn't have gotten much sleep the previous night. But her voice had been enough to wake him and he started slightly, opening his eyes slowly and squinting at her.

"What…oh." He sat up, scrubbing a hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry Ginny, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"No, its alright," she replied. "I shouldn't have woken you."

Harry shrugged. "No matter," he said. "What were you saying before?"

She turned to him, not comprehending for a moment before realising he must have been talking about her question which had woken him.

"Oh, yeah. What," she gestured with her hand to the objects she had studied, "is all this stuff?"

Harry was surprised she was asking for a moment, before remembering she hadn't known what a gun was either.

"Its all Muggle technology," he explained.

"Oh," Ginny said. "What does it all do?" She was genuinely curious, as she couldn't see the purpose of it all.

"Well that," Harry motioned at the large flat box, "is a television. You use it to watch things that Muggles film, whether it's the news, sports or just shows with actors for entertainment."

Ginny crinkled her forehead. "But how?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. It's all very technical and complicated. I just use the stuff," he said with a small grin. "We use it to watch movies mostly though."

"Movies?"

"Moving pictures, only the people in them are only actors playing a role and it tells a story. Like a book, only you watch it instead. We've got heaps; Sirius and I are self confessed junkies. That's what all the things in the shelves are. We'll watch one sometime if you like."

Ginny nodded enthusiastically. It sounded fascinating, and she thought Muggles were awfully clever to come up with these sorts of things without magic. "What about the box on top?"

"That's a CD player. It plays music off a little disk. The sound comes out of the speakers," here he waved his hand at the boxes on the floor. "But we don't use the actual CD player much anymore."

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"We connect to the speakers from our phones through a special little device. Bit hard to explain, I'll have to show you."

"You have a phone?" Ginny said, a little excited. She's heard of these Muggle devices that let people talk to each other over huge distances.

"Yeah, but not the type you're probably thinking of," Harry smiled. He leant forward and picked up the small device off the table. "This is a mobile phone. Easy to carry with you." He pressed the button Ginny had already tried and slid her thumb across the button of the screen, which immediately changed to show lots of small boxes. "This is what they call a smartphone. The screen is touch sensitive, which is why there are hardly any buttons. All the older types of phones have buttons though."

Over the next hour or two, Harry showed Ginny how to use the TV and the phone, which she found surprisingly easy to pick up and figure out. He showed her how he played music from it and Ginny found herself quite enjoying the Muggle rock Harry favoured. He also told her the other thing on the coffee table was a computer, a portable one. This device confused her the most as she had trouble with the touch pad and typing but always a quick learner, she was soon browsing the internet in rapture, and remembering Lily's promise to help her with her hair, she began looking up various different styles. This earned a bit of a moan from Harry and Ginny had been surprised to find that she'd smirked at him. Like smiling, that was an expression she hadn't used in a long time.

As she flicked through picture after picture, Ginny did some thinking. She felt comfortable around Harry, she realised. Despite her head telling her she shouldn't be, that she should be shying away from him, she found she just couldn't. She had expected to be hesitant to be around any males but Harry was different, more like those she'd known before she was captured. She did owe her freedom, and most likely life, to him and she admitted to herself that she felt completely safe in his arms on those occasions he had held her. Whether that was an effect of her compromised emotions, she didn't know and in her mind she shied away from thinking on that topic further. She wasn't ready mentally for that sort of thing.

Before she knew it, the morning had passed away and Lily called them into the kitchen for lunch. Ginny sighed as she realised Harry would have to carry her again. He didn't seem to begrudge her for it, but it took away the sense of independence Ginny had always considered to be a large part of who she was.

"I feel like a baby," she grumbled to him. He snorted and it had brought a smile to her face.

After lunch, where Lily had given her a few potions that were already making her feel better, she was back in the living room. Lily came in as well with a few hair things and a pair of scissors.

"Anything in particular you'd like done?" Lily asked the other redhead. Ginny nodded and brought up the picture she'd found on the internet. Lily studied it for a moment before getting to work. A few minutes and a good deal of magic later, Lily stepped back and handed Ginny a mirror. She looked into it a little hesitantly. She wasn't sure how the style would have turned out. She never really done anything with her hair before other than keep it neat.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that she liked it. Her hair fell to just below her shoulders and had many layers, mostly shorter and slightly spiky. Her part was now to one side, and an edgy fringe fell across her forehead in a slant. She turned and thanked Lily profusely.

"Think nothing of it my dear," the older woman said. "It was no trouble at all."

A few moments later, Harry came thumping down the stairs, having been up to see Sirius.

"How is he?" Lily asked, a little apprehensively. Her friend tended to get either melancholy or very pissed off when he thought too much about his brother.

"Oh, he's fine!" Harry said cheerfully. "Happily transfiguring things into portraits of his fucked up wanker of a brother's face and blasting them to pieces. Shit's just about hitting the fan." He paused and frowned slightly. "Literally."

"Harry! Really! Couldn't you at least _try_ to keep a lid on the swearing around Ginny?" Lily shook her head, attempting to look stern but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

Harry ducked his head in mock apology, but Ginny could see the grin still on his face.

"I have six brothers," Ginny pointed out. "And mum always tells me I'm worse than any of them."

"Oh good!" Harry plopped down on the couch next to her. "Its horribly difficult to try and remember to keep everything G rated." He sent her a wide smile, and she found herself smiling back. Harry did a slight double take, and then peered at her. "Haircut?" he asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Men," she muttered. "They never can tell the difference."

Ginny snorted, but nodded her head in answer to Harry question.

"Looks good," he said. Ginny flushed a little and muttered a thank you. "Anything you want to do?" Harry asked.

"I can't exactly do much," Ginny pointed out.

Harry's forehead creased a little. "Well, we could go fro a drive?" he offered.

"You have a car?" At his nod, it was Ginny's turn to frown. "Not many wizards have cars," she said, half to herself.

"Not many wizards have TV's or phones either," Harry pointed out. Ginny nodded but didn't reply, mulling things over in her head. Coming to a realisation, she fixed him with an accusatory glare.

"You never told me who you are," she said.

"Pretty sure I did," Harry began before she cut him off.

"No, you told me your first name was Harry and that's it. Upstairs is a man named Sirius Black, and your name-" Ginny turned to Lily only to find the woman had vacated the room at some point. "Your mum's name," she clarified, "is Lily. And your dad died when you were young."

"Yeah…" Harry said slowly, getting an uncomfortable feeling about where this was going. Of course, she as going to find out anyway, but like this hadn't been on the cards as far as he was concerned.

"And you," Ginny stabbed a finger at him, "are Harry bloody Potter aren't you?"

Harry blew out a breath and nodded.

"Care to tell me when you were planning on sharing that small but somewhat vital piece of information with me?" Ginny's eyebrow was arched, and it occurred to Harry that it was not a good idea to cross this woman. Even without any magic at her disposal, and in her condition, she was somewhat scary. He decided it went with the hair colour. Lily was exactly the same.

"When I got around to it," he said, trying to deter her for a moment while he thought up a passable explanation. She glared at him and opened her mouth to speak again, closing it when he held up a hand. "Look Ginny, if I told everyone I met who I am, I'd be dead within the month. Probably sooner. You know Voldemort went after my family when I was a baby. Hell, who doesn't? But he's still after us, more specifically me. I won't tell you why, just that he is. Am I going to have to face him someday? Yeah, unless I get lucky and someone else disposes of him first. So I think I've enough reason not to tell strangers my full name till I know if I can trust them." He snapped his mouth shut, feeling a little guilty for going off at her. He hadn't meant to lecture her.

Ginny was silent for a minute or two. "Sorry," she said softly. "I didn't think."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said, rubbing a hand across his face. "I shouldn't have responded like that. I'm just tired, and not thinking straight." He focussed his gaze on her, correctly interpreting her next words. "And don't you dare apologise for that either. Getting you out of that hell hole was more than worth missing a few hours sleep."

Ginny was a little taken aback and just nodded. Harry's face softened and he smiled slightly. "I think we might understand each other a little better now," he said softly and she jerked her head in reply, the corner of her mouth tilting upwards a little. More talks of a serious nature would come, as would arguments over things. But if they were between friends, it wouldn't be an issue.

* * *

><p>So sorry this took so long to get out! I had 90% of it written a month ago then got a nasty case of writers block and just could not finish it off! Still not too happy with the last paragraph, but I always suck at endings.<p>

Hopefully this will be the last of the introductory chapters, will do a short time jump in the next one and things should start to move along a little faster


	7. Questions

_What a shame we all became such fragile broken things_

_A memory remains, just a tiny spark_

_I give it all my oxygen_

_So let the flames begin, so let the flames begin_

**Chapter 6: Questions**

* * *

><p>Ginny wandered down the stairs, still in her pyjamas and sporting sleep mussed hair. She yawned, rubbing her eyes as she entered the kitchen. Harry was leaning against the counter, a mug of coffee in his hand.<p>

"Morning," he said, raising an eyebrow slightly at Ginny's dishevelled state and late appearance. She glared at him, slumping into a chair. It was a week since he had rescued her, and whilst Lily's spell work and potions along with plenty of food had done wonders, she was still a little weak, and had never been a morning person anyway. Lily had told her not to worry, and that she'd get her strength back soon enough but it didn't make it any less annoying.

The older woman and Ginny had hit it off immediately, seeing a kindred spirit in each other. Lily was happy to have another female in the house to even things out, and Ginny was glad to have someone she could talk to about certain things. Things she just couldn't tell Harry, no matter how much she trusted him.

Harry. Their relationship had developed into something Ginny couldn't quite pinpoint. They were friends certainly, but there was something more. Nothing romantic, although had they met under different circumstances that would have been a distinct possibility. Nor was it a brother/sister relationship; it was something else. Ginny trusted him in a way she didn't really understand. She knew she'd trust him with her life if it came down to it.

And for his part, Harry treated her _normally. _Something she hadn't had very often in her life. Being the youngest and only girl in a large family, all her brothers had seen it as their duty to look after her and protect her from harm, but in the process had smothered her. At Hogwarts she was always Ron's little sister, or the twins' sister. Then once it had become apparent what she was, people had treated her with a strange mixture of awe, respect and fear. All she'd wanted was to be just like anyone else and that was how Harry made her feel. He didn't mollycoddle her, even with her injuries. He listened when she needed a friendly ear, joked around with her and didn't hit on her like so many other boys had in the past.

The subject of her thoughts cleared his throat and Ginny brought her mind back to the present, glancing up at him.

"You going to eat and get dressed, or are you just going to sit there staring into space all day?" he asked.

Ginny shrugged. "Nothing on is there?"

"Actually," he set his now empty cup down, " there is. We're going shopping. For you."

She snorted. "You're taking me shopping? No offense Harry, but I don't really think you're the best person to give me advice on clothes."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's mum's job. We're meeting her in London, after we've been to Diagon Alley. You need a wand."

"Oh," Ginny realised she'd almost forgotten she could do magic. Her body hadn't been strong enough for a long time, and her wand had been snapped in front of her months ago. "But isn't Diagon Alley full of Death Eaters now? They'll recognise me Harry!" Her voice rose in a slight panic.

Harry nodded. "Hence why we're going in disguise. Now chop chop, else we're going to be late!" He rinsed his mug and threw a smile her way before exiting the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Harry paced the living room, waiting for Ginny to come back down. He liked the girl. Not in a romantic way, he just genuinely liked her. She was smart, admittedly attractive, and she was slowly coming out of her shell. He imagined she was naturally very outgoing, and as she recovered from her ordeal, he'd found her to be quite vivacious with a fantastic sense of humour. She was smiling more and more every day, and the awful sobbing episodes were lessening as well. Sometimes something would trigger a flashback and she would break, but afterwards she picked herself up and carried on, showing an enormous amount of strength and willpower.<p>

His thought train was interrupted by Ginny appearing at the base of the stairs, wearing a pair of Lily's jeans and a t-shirt. His mother didn't mind Ginny borrowing her clothes, she certainly had plenty of them, but Lily had decided the girl really did need her own wardrobe.

Harry held out a bunch of black material. Ginny took it, shaking it out and frowning.

"Why do we need these?" she asked.

"To blend in," Harry said. "I hate robes, but that's what most wizards wear, and black is an inconspicuous colour." Ginny inclined her head, slipping into the flowing, somewhat cumbersome garment. Harry held out his arm for her, and she took it, closing her eyes as he spun on the spot and the house disappeared.

They reappeared in a dark alcove off the alley, and Harry took a quick glance around. Ollivander's was just down the road, one of the few shops still open in the once bustling street. He felt Ginny tense beside him and followed her gaze to a store across the street. The faded sign read, "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes' but surprisingly, everything inside appeared to be intact, unlike many other places which had been stripped bare.

"They always did have good security measures," Ginny said softly.

"I can imagine," Harry replied. He'd been to the shop a few times before Voldemort took over completely, and whilst the Weasley twins may have made a life from selling jokes, there was no doubt that the brains that went towards creating those were just as capable of creating an impenetrable defense. He hated to think what might have become of any Death Eaters trying to break into their shop.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's get out of here as quickly as we can." Checking to make sure the coast was clear, Harry led her out of the alcove and they hurried down the street, pausing again to look around before slipping inside the wand shop. A bell tinkled as the door swung shut and an old man shuffled his way towards them.

"How may I help you today sir?" the old man asked in a raspy, tired voice. Ginny's eyes widened as she realised it was Mr Ollivander, whom she and all her brothers had bought their wands from. He had always been grey and a little wrinkly, but he looked so frail and much more worse for wear now that she hadn't recognised him at first.

Harry casually placed a hand on the counter and Ginny noticed a ring on his index finger that she hadn't seen before. Ollivander glanced at it shrewdly and Harry placed his hand back inside his robe before Ginny had a chance to study the intricate design on it.

"We wish to buy a wand," Harry said smoothly. Ollivander's eyes turned to rest on Ginny, seeming to see everything beneath the hood that was still on her head, shadowing most of her face.

"Of course," he replied. "Right this way," and he led them towards the back of the shop, a place Ginny had never been.

Hidden from the outside world, Harry pushed the hood back and gestured for Ginny to do the same.

"It's good to see you Mr Ollivander," Harry said warmly, gripping the old man's forearm.

"Likewise Mr Potter."

"How have things been since we last saw each other?"

Ollivander sighed. "They get worse with every passing day. If wands weren't so important to the dark wizards I wouldn't still be in business. Almost everyone else has shut up shop. Hardly any people of decency come by nowadays, its simply no safe. But I wager you knew all this already."

Harry inclined his head.

"And I presume you aren't here simply for small talk?"

"No," Harry replied. "My friend here needs a new wand."

"A shame Miss Weasley," Ollivander said. "Yours was a fine one. Death Eaters I presume?"

Ginny nodded stiffly. She had no idea whether it had been broadcasted that she had been a prisoner or not.

"Is price of any concern?"

Ginny hesitated, but Harry replied in the negative. Ollivander nodded and shuffled his way over to a shelf full of wands, pulling several out. He handed them to Ginny to try out. The first few were dismal failures, most failing to emit even a single spark and Ginny shook her head. They just didn't _feel _right in her hand.

She went through wand after wand with similar results. None of them were right and Ollivander was becoming a little frustrated and nervous, continually glancing towards the front of the shop. Ginny guessed he was worried about a Death Eater coming in and finding her and Harry there. For his part, Harry leant against one wall quietly watching, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

Finally Ollivander tugged one wand down from a top shelf, dusting the case off.

"Black laurel, 12 inches with a dragon heartstring core," he said softly.

Ginny moved to pick it up and flinched when it slammed up into her palm before she even touched it. A small smile spread across Ollivander's face. Ginny examined the wand, marvelling at how it felt like it belonged in her hand, it almost thrummed with energy. She gave it a wave like the others and a stream of fire shot out, straight towards Harry who happened to be in the path of it. He jumped to one side and the fire scorched a hole in the wall before Ginny managed to put the flames out.

"Shit," Harry swore, examining the damage to the wall, muttering a quick spell to repair it. He spun around to face Ginny and Ollivander, neither of whom seemed at all surprised that fire rather than sparks had come from the wand. "What the bloody hell was that?" he asked.

"Can I explain later?" Ginny asked, her eyes pleading with Harry to just drop it. He sighed but nodded. Now was not the time or place for this discussion.

"Thankyou," he addressed Ollivander and they made their way back to the front of the store where they paid for the wand. "Let's get out of here," Harry muttered as they exited the shop. Slipping back to the place they had entered the alley, Harry took Ginny's arm and they apparated away silently.

* * *

><p>There we have chapter 6! Will finish the shopping trip in chapter 7. It was either one really long chapter or two normal length ones!<p> 


	8. Shopping

_Money money money, must be funny_

_In the rich man's world_

_Money money money, always sunny_

_In the rich man's world  
><em>

**Chapter 7: Shopping**

* * *

><p>They landed in a back street as silently as they'd left Diagon Alley.<p>

"How do you do that?" Ginny asked. Everyone made some noise as they apparated, it just varied in volume form person to person. But Harry was completely silent.

"Do what?" he replied.

"Apparate without any noise."

"Ah," Harry hesitated. "Tricks of the trade."

Ginny huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at him. She wasn't stupid; he was obviously avoiding giving her a proper answer. In return he merely raised an eyebrow motioning up the street.

"Mum will be waiting, we're late."

Ginny narrowed her eyes further but started walking. He evidently wasn't going to let her in on the secret. Well, fine. She had secrets too. She'd share hers when he shared his.

Harry led them across several streets before they came out onto one that was bustling with people on the sidewalks, browsing the shops that lined both sides of the road. Harry's eyes darted around until they lighted on Lily leaning against a wall nearby. He tugged Ginny over by her elbow.

"You're late," Lily said, but the smile that broke through showed she didn't really mean it.

"Sorry," Harry shrugged. "Ran into a bit of trouble."

Lily's eyebrows drew together. "Death Eaters?"

"Nah, just took a while to find the right wand." Lily nodded and turned to Ginny.

"Well come along, we best get started! Plenty of things we need to do. This is Oxford Street, one of London's main Muggle shopping precincts." They began walking, Ginny gazing into the store windows as they passed in fascination. She'd never really been to a Muggle shop before, only popping into the odd one near the Leaky Cauldron when she was younger, mostly to satisfy her dad's curiosity.

"First things first," Lily announced, stopping in front of one shop and causing Harry to groan. Ginny flushed a little as she saw what the shop sold, but there was no getting around the fact that she needed some.

Lily placed her hands on her hips, glaring at Harry. "For goodness sake, how old are you? You've seen bras before."

"Usually I'm in the process of taking them off," Harry muttered, evoking a snort from Ginny and another glare from his mother.

"Fine, you stay out here," Lily said, rolling her eyes and leading Ginny into the shop.

Some time later they emerged, Ginny sporting a slightly pink face.

"Took your time," Harry mumbled, pushing off the wall to fall in step with them.

"You could just go home," Ginny offered. Harry shook his head.

"Security," he said.

"Oh," Ginny replied. She hadn't thought of that. Sure they were in a muggle area but you never knew who might be around.

In the next shop, Ginny browsed the racks, a little unsure of herself. In the past she had always worn relatively conservative clothing, largely to keep her traditionalist mother off her back. Not to say she hadn't wanted to wear things that were a little more fashionable, but she'd never been game. But now, well, conservative didn't seem to be a concept that was known in this store. And she had admitted that she definitely liked the look of a lot of the clothes.

"Looking for anything in particular?" Lily asked. Ginny shrugged.

"I've never really worn any of this stuff before, so I'm not sure what would look good."

"Simple," Lily declared. "Grab anything you like the look of and see if it suits! Come on, I'll give you a hand." In the background, Harry gave a slightly theatrical sigh. Hearing it, Ginny turned to face him.

"Why are you here if you find it so boring?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Security," he stated, opening his jacket to show the gun strapped to his side, his wand in a holster on the other.

"Is that really necessary?" Ginny asked.

He nodded. "You never know who might be around. The unrest in the wizarding world has transferred across to muggles. They don't know what's going on and they're scared. Some people, of a less than savoury nature, are taking advantage of that. So yes, it is necessary."

"If you say so," Ginny was still unconvinced, until Lily touched her on the arm, lifting her long coat just enough so Ginny could see that she too had a gun, only hers was attached to her thigh.

"Oh," Ginny said softly. She'd never seen Lily with a gun before, but she supposed it made sense. And she knew the woman would have a wand on her as well. She wondered if they both went out in public armed like that often. She suspected Harry did, although maybe Lily didn't all the time. But she was willing to bet that Harry's gun, wand and quite possibly a second wand went with him everywhere he went.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny stood in front of a mirror examining herself.

"Mum would absolutely _kill _me if she saw me wearing this," she said, the corners of her mouth tilting up.

"What's wrong with it?" Lily asked quizzically, looking Ginny up and down. The dress was strapless with a bodice that emphasised her chest and clung tightly to her waist. The skirt was in three layers with a lacy detail and fell halfway down Ginny's thigh.

"Nothing's _wrong _with it," Ginny replied. "In fact, I love it. But mum would be spouting off about it being 'indecent for a proper young lady'" Ginny snorted. "She never agreed to buy me anything shorter than knee length, and it all had to have sleeves of some sort, no scooped or plunging necklines. I love her and all, but her taste in clothes was…"

"Old fashioned?" Lily offered.

"Yes, exactly. Old fashioned. I used to spend ages adjusting my clothes where I could, underage magic be damned!"

At this Lily smiled to herself. Ginny reminded her so much of herself as a teenager.

"Well I think it looks lovely," Lily declared. Ginny gave her a small smile before flipping the tag over to see the price. Immediately her face fell and she sighed, slipping out of it and placing it back on the hanger.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked.

"The price," Ginny replied, her voice slightly muffled as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"What about it?"

Ginny gave her an incredulous stare. "It's way too expensive!"

"No its not."

"Yes it is. You can't buy it for me, and I don't have any money."

"Ginny," Lily argued. "I'm offering. We've plenty of money, and I'm going to get it anyway."

The younger girl shook her head stubbornly. "No," she said. Lily rolled her eyes as they stepped out of the change rooms.

"Look, we're rich alright? I won't sugar coat that. James' parents were practically rolling in it, and he inherited it all when they died, and left it to me and Harry in his will. We've got more money than we could possibly ever spend, way more than we know what to do with. Fifty pounds on a lovely dress is nothing. Please Ginny; let us do this for you. I'll come back anyway and get it all without you."

"She will actually do that you know," Harry added, having fallen in step with them. "She's not kidding. Ginny, just go along with it. Please."

Ginny bit her lip, eyes darting between the two of them. She honestly thought they were laying it on a little thick. No one could possibly have that much money. Or could they? Perhaps she was just so accustomed to her family barely scraping by. She gave a defeated shrug.

"Alright," she relented.

"Good," Lily smiled brightly. "Now, no arguing about money for the rest of the trip, agreed?"

"Agreed," Ginny replied, shaking her head in some disbelief. Harry gave a short laugh and they proceeded to the checkout.

They moved from shop to shop, and Ginny was awfully glad they could discreetly shrink the bags. Lily was in her element, and Ginny had no idea how she could possibly get around to wearing all the clothes they bought. Jeans, jumpers, dresses, skirts, tops, not to mention the shoes. Some items, Ginny couldn't really see why she needed them but Lily insisted, although once or twice she saw Harry frown slightly.

Eventually, Lily led them inside another store, that left Ginny was absolutely baffled as to why.

"Uh, Lily?" she asked. The woman turned, a questioning eyebrow raised. "Why do I need anything formal?"

Beside her, she registered Harry stiffening slightly, saw the warning look Lily sent him. She wondered at that, but let it be.

"Because," Lily told her, "You never know when you might need something, and its best to be prepared." She began flicking through racks and pulling dresses out. Harry settled himself in a corner which gave him line of sight to all the exits and to Ginny, a darker than usual expression on his face.

The third Dress Ginny tried on was a black number, strapless and falling to just above her knees. Whilst the bodice was tight and slightly ruffled, the skirt was layered in a bunched up way.

"Perfect," Lily declared, handing Ginny a handful of long dresses. Ginny tried them all on and more, but none seemed to be quite right. Some sat wrong, others were the wrong colour, still others not what Lily was searching for. Finally she came out of the change room in a dusky blue, floor length dress. Strapless again, with a straight top, it had delicate beading work on the bodice, and more where the skirt was pulled together at the top of one thigh.

"Oh," Lily breathed in delight. Harry, who had been watching proceedings from a slight distance, came over to stand next to his mother. "Its gorgeous," she continued. Harry nodded his agreement. He had known Ginny was pretty, but this took it to a new level. _Beautiful,_ he found himself thinking.

Ginny gave the two Potters a shy smile. "Is there anything else?" she asked.

"No, I think that's it," Lily began, taking a glance at her watch. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Harry, would you mind paying for these? I'm late for my-" she looked at Ginny out of the corner of her eye, seeming to rethink her words. "Meeting," she continued. Harry nodded.

"I'm sorry Ginny, but I really do have to go, we've been a bit longer than I anticipated," Lily said.

"Its alright," Ginny replied. "Thank you very much for everything."

"It's nothing my dear," Lily told her, giving them a final smile before hurrying out of the store.

"Shall we?" Harry asked Ginny, gesturing to the dress Lily had shoved into his hand and the one Ginny was still wearing. She nodded, disappearing behind the curtain to change again.

Exiting the shop, Harry led her down the street.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked.

"To get you a phone and a computer," he replied.

"Harry! You can't do that!"

"And why not?" he arched his eyebrow at her.

"Because, because, you've already spent far too much on me."

"Didn't we go through this already?"

"Clothes were one thing, a phone and computer are another entirely." Ginny crossed her arms.

"Ginny, I'm not arguing with you about this. I'm getting them for you and that's that. Can't have you stealing my laptop all the time. And a phone is a far more convenient way of communicating when out and about than any magical means."

Ginny sighed, unfolding her arms. "Lead the way," she told him. Harry gave her a smirk and she rolled her eyes as they set off again.


	9. Ancestor

_'Cause your soul is on fire_

_A shot in the dark_

_What did they aim for_

_When they missed your heart?_

**Chapter 8: Ancestor**

* * *

><p>"Hey Gin, can you come down here for a bit?" Harry called later that night after dinner. A few seconds later, Ginny came jogging down the stairs. She'd been spending some time personalising her new phone and laptop once Harry had them setup for her.<p>

"What's up?" she asked, seeing Harry, Lily and Sirius sitting on the sofas.

"Come sit down," Harry said. She obliged, taking the spare seat next to him. "We'd like to have a chat to you about what happened at Ollivander's. You've got your wand on you?"

"Ye-es," Ginny said guardedly, slipping the long piece of wood out of her back pocket and fingering it quietly. She'd figured this conversation would come sooner or later.

"I'm going to take a punt that you know exactly why your wand sent out flames," he said, deciding not to beat around the bush, having already filled Lily and Sirius in on the events.

Ginny nodded quietly, eyes lowered. She turned things over in her mind. What to tell them? Where to begin? To their credit, none of them pushed her, letting her take her time to gather her thoughts. Staring down at her hand, she slowly opened it, gratified to see the small flame flickering in the centre of her palm. Lily gave a soft gasp. Flicking her eyes over to the fireplace, Ginny saw the flame dancing a little higher, shifting slightly in her direction.

Extinguishing the flame, she raised her head and took a deep breath.

"I told you I wasn't an ordinary witch," she began. Harry nodded. "Its not something I can help, although I can control it. I was born with it and it's a part of me. I suppose you're probably thinking I'm some sort of elemental." Lily nodded in confirmation.

"I'm not. Not really. I guess you could think of it in that way if you wanted to. Obviously I can control fire." As if to prove the point, Ginny stretched out her arm towards the fireplace, drawing a tendril of flame towards her, between Lily and Harry. Releasing it, she sat back.

"There's a reason we Weasley's all have red hair. A long time ago, probably two thousand years or so, a man fell in love. The woman was a great beauty, and her hair," Ginny reached up to twirl a lock of her own around her finger, "was the colour of flames. She loved him in return, but told him she couldn't marry him. One day she came to him and told him she had to leave, but wouldn't tell him where or why. That night, his house went up in flames. He had been drinking when he knocked a lamp over. He would have been incinerated if not for Blaise, the woman he had loved. Onlookers said she simply held out her arms and pulled the fire away from the house into her own body.

The man was badly burned but he recovered and when he did, Blaise explained. She was the daughter of the goddess Belisama, and a wielder of fire. She told him that she was required to return to the skies, that her period on Earth had been a brief one and she had not been intended to fall in love. The next night, Belisama visited her daughter.

Two weeks later, the man and Blaise were married. She had been freed from her heavenly duties and granted permission to live on Earth for the rest of her mortal body's life. But she retained her powers and passed them onto her children.

By now its fairly obvious the man was a Weasley." Ginny paused and looked at the rest to make sure they were following her. "The gene has been passed down from generation to generation. It always presents itself in one form or another. The red hair is one of those. The males will only carry the gene; they can never use it like Blaise, like me. But every Weasley female since has had the ability to control fire, some stronger than others. "

"And that's why Voldemort wanted you," Lily said softly.

Ginny shook her head. "That's not everything," she said. "I'm the seventh child. I'm the first Weasley girl in seven generations. And I'm the seventh Weasley girl to be born since Blaise married into the family."

Sirius let out a low whistle. "Seven of seven of seven," he said. "No wonder…Voldemort has an obsession with seven when it comes to magic. After all, it is considered to be the most powerful number. If he couldn't use you, or sway you to his cause, he would have wanted you out of the way."

Ginny nodded. "He offered me a place with him. I refused. He offered twice more. When I refused again, he gave me over to the Death Eaters, to do with me as they pleased as long as they didn't kill me. No, he wanted that _pleasure _for himself, after I'd lost the will to live and couldn't be brought down any further."

She fell silent, staring ahead, tears glistening in her eyes but denied the chance to fall.

Recognising that she was trying to hold it together and barely succeeding, Harry gave a jerk of his head to Lily and Sirius, telling them to go upstairs. The pair did as he asked. Both knew that Harry was the best one to comfort Ginny, they'd seen in numerous times in the last week.

Once they had gone up stairs, Harry pulled Ginny to him. She drew in one shuddering breath before the tears started flowing. She pressed her lips together, chin trembling. Slowly her shoulders began to shake and it wasn't much longer before she gave in, turning into Harry and letting the sobs come. He held her, each sob tearing at him the way they always did.

A few minutes later, Ginny sat back, wiping her eyes and sniffing. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice a little wobbly. "All I seem to do is cry. I hate crying."

Harry took her hands in his, looking her in the eye. "Its not a weakness Ginny. It's healthy. Letting it all out. If you didn't show any emotion, you'd be locking it away inside and that's dangerous. You are one of the strongest people I know, and after what you went through, its ok, more than ok, to find yourself needing an outlet. I may not be able to relate, but whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, just call."

"You barely know me," Ginny said softly.

"I may not have known you for long," Harry told her. "But I don't need to. Not to know that you're stubborn, have a will of your own and a temper to match that rival's my mum's." Ginny gave a small smile at that. "But you're also funny, honest and caring, and one of the most genuine people I've ever met. You're independent but not arrogant. You're not afraid of an argument or a fight but you're not difficult to get along with either."

"Stop it," Ginny murmured.

Harry smiled. "What I'm trying to get at Ginny is that you're a good person, and you've had terrible things one to you, but you haven't let that change who you are. Maybe for a time you might not feel like yourself, and inevitably you've changed to a degree. But I know that you'll get through it and come out stronger for it."

"Now I'm crying again," Ginny scolded him, but smiled through the tears falling down her face. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Harry regarded her for a moment then shifted closer to her and Ginny leant against him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Thankyou," she said softly.

"Anytime," he replied.

* * *

><p>Ginny lay in bed that night contemplating the turn her life had taken. Rescued from a living hell by someone she didn't know, who turned out to be famous. Living with her rescuers for who knew how long while the tried to find her family. Her mood turned slightly melancholy at the thought of her family. Harry had told her they hadn't been able to make any headway on it at all. She missed them terribly. Yet, she had a strange feeling that even if she never saw them again, the hole it left in her heart would slowly be healed. Never completely, but there would be others who would figure prominently in her life. Some already did. She wondered at how Harry and Lily had already become such a part of her life, a part she couldn't bear to lose.<p>

Her thoughts turned to Sirius, slightly guiltily. She hadn't seen him much. He still made her nervous. Harry had said that was to be expected but she still felt bad. She suspected the man stayed away and avoided crossing paths for her benefit and she wished he didn't have to. But perhaps it was passing; she had barely flinched when she'd seen him in the living room that night.

She yawned and closed her eyes. She still didn't have her full strength back and it had been a tiring day. Letting her mind go blank, she allowed sleep to take her.

* * *

><p>The house was woken hours later by a scream. Ginny bolted upright in bed, her throat raw and heart pounding. Sweat coated her body and the blankets, and suddenly feeling trapped she kicked the covers away, freeing her legs. Seconds later Harry burst into her room, closely followed by Lily and Sirius.<p>

"Ginny?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. "I'm fine," she whispered hoarsely. "Just a nightmare." She attempted a smile but she knew it came out as more of a grimace. Falling back to her pillow, she closed her eyes again. Opening them a short time later, Lily and Sirius and gone but Harry was sitting in the chair near her bed, staring at her.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Go back to bed."

His gaze narrowed., challenging her. She glared back. "Fine!" she burst out. "I'm not alright! Is that what you wanted to hear? Are you happy now?"

He frowned and she gave him a slightly apologetic look, realising her outburst had been a little uncalled for.

"I'm staying here," he told her.

"No you're not," she argued. "I'm not a baby, you don't need to watch over me. I'm a big girl now, I can handle a little nightmare."

"I'm sure you can. I'm still staying."

"Harry, honestly. Go back to bed. I'm not about to go slit my wrists or jump out the window."

This time the look her gave her was one of hurt. "I never said or thought you would. I'm staying because I care."

Ginny had the grace to look abashed. If she admitted it to herself, it touched her that he cared that much. After all, staying up in an armchair all night to watch over her after she woke him up was hardly part of his nightly schedule.

"Sorry," she muttered. He inclined her head and she blew out a breath, puffing her cheeks.

"Think you can get back to sleep?" he asked gently.

Ginny nodded. Despite the fear that had woken up, she could feel her body slipping back to the realm of blissful unconsciousness. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut again and it wasn't long before she was breathing deeply and evenly. Harry watched her through half closed lids, waiting till she was well and truly asleep before allowing himself to do the same.

* * *

><p>I am so, so sorry for not updating in ages! I had a complete writers block. But the muse is back now, and as such you get two chapters at once!<p>

Obviously I'm not the first to have Ginny able to control fire. I do however, hope that my back story to it is somewhat original. At any rate, I haven't read any other fics with the exact same idea as mine. If there is one out there, rest assured I didn't steal it! I'm not 100% happy with how I wrote the story part, but I guess its really not a big deal in the long run. It got the message across and that's what's important!


	10. Confrontation

_Now when I caught myself_

_I had to stop myself_

_From saying something that_

_I should have never thought of you_

**Chapter 9: Confrontation**

* * *

><p>"Any plans for today?" Ginny asked as the four sat around the table eating breakfast.<p>

"Mum, Sirius and I have to go out for a while, probably won't be back after lunch Harry told her.

"Oh," Ginny replied. "Where are you going?"

Harry swallowed a mouthful and glanced at Sirius, who raised his eyebrows. "Just out…business related stuff."

Ginny's forehead creased. She was still completely in the dark. In the two weeks she'd been living with them, she'd picked up on little things that left her confused, and knowing they weren't telling her the full story. For instance, why all the muggle technology? It was great, sure, and she could see the need for the phones and computers, but the fact that all three constantly carried a gun was something else. And why had Harry been at the manor she had been held in?

Added to that were little snippets of conversation she had overhead, the way they always abruptly changed the topic when they realised she was there. All of them disappeared for periods of time, nowhere to be found yet she knew they hadn't left the house. All in all, she was confused and curious at the same time. But any time she tried to ask one of the three, they dodged the question.

"In fact," Lily said, "We need to get going in a few minutes. You'll be alright on your own Ginny?"

Ginny nodded. She knew she was perfectly safe, but Harry seemed to feel the need to reiterate it.

"No one can get through the wards, and even if they did we'd be alerted straight away. You've got your wand and you can call us if you need us."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. Ever since the night of the shopping trip where she'd woken up with a nightmare he'd been awfully protective, almost unbearably so. Of course, he didn't know she still woke up every night, her dreams a realm of terror rather than peacefulness. She'd placed a silencing charm around her room. She didn't want him spending every night in an armchair, which she knew he would.

"I'll be fine," she told him. He gave her a crooked grin before getting up from the table, stacking his dishes in the sink.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny was the sole occupant of the house. She gave a soft sigh, pondering what to do. Watch TV? Nah, she'd checked the guide and there wasn't anything on she thought she'd be interested in. A movie? She went over to the cabinet and flicked through a selection before deciding she didn't really feel like it. She flopped down on the couch, blowing out a frustrated breath. Pulling out her phone, she put together a playlist and soon had the music blasting through the stereo system.

She hummed along for a little while, before wandering over to the kitchen and opened the pantry. Even though she'd only just had breakfast, Ginny had a habit of snacking throughout the day. Added to that her appetite was large anyway, unavoidable when you were a Weasley, and as her body regained its strength, she was hungry nearly all the time. Pushing the door all the way back, the handle struck the wall.

Ginny paused in her search for food, frowning a little. It had almost sounded like the wall behind the door was hollow. She shut the door, whispering _lumos _to provide some light. To her surprise, she found that the wall wasn't really a wall at all. It was another door. Trying the handle, she could feel magic thrumming beneath her hand and the latch clicked. She supposed the mechanism was possibly keyed to the wards in someway, and she knew Harry had keyed her into the wards.

Slipping through the door, she held her wand out, letting the light spread. A short corridor was before her, with another door at the end. It unlocked in the same way, and the corridor took a ninety-degree turn. This pattern carried on a few more times, and she found herself wondering what on earth the Potters were trying to keep hidden. She realised it made sense for something to be here, after all there was a wall to the left of the front door from the outside, yet inside a wall ran directly perpendicular to the door. She'd just never thought about it before.

Finally, she came to a set of stairs. Carefully she descended, ending up with a corridor to her left and a door straight ahead. Walking slowly down the corridor, she opened the door at the end of that to find herself in a large room, with nothing inside. The walls and floor were all concrete, yet some of the walls bore marks. A few were bullet holes and others were probably from curses. Another door led out from the room, and peering through she saw a maze of walls, extending as far as she could see. Closing the door, she returned to the base of the stairs.

Making her way through the partially open door at the base, Ginny found herself in a hallway, more doors along the left. She opened the first to have a light automatically turn on. She gazed around in slight bewilderment. There were desks full of computer gear and cabinets with goodness knows what in them. She went over to one keyboard and tapped it to find a screen come up asking for a password. Taking a stab in the dark, she entered the one Harry had provided her with. It came back and told her the password was incorrect. Leaving it be, she figured it required a special passcode, which she obviously wasn't in possession of.

Looking around, she spied an opening at the back of the room. It led into another room with locked cupboards everywhere, and more screens on a central table. A few guns were laid out, more complicated affairs than what she saw Harry carry around daily.

There was one slightly open drawer, and she pulled it out to find it full of ammunition. Closing it again, she contemplated what this meant. Evidently this was where they disappeared to at times. But why the hell did they have all these weapons, and all the other gear?

She exited the weapons room and entered the last door in the hall. This was full of more muggle contraptions, ones she'd never seen before and had no idea what they did. She quickly gave up trying to figure out their purpose. Suddenly, a voice made her jump, and she spun around.

"What the hell are you doing?" Harry was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and a dark expression on his face.

"I…" Ginny started. "What the hell is all this?" she gestured to the machines behind her, implying that she also mean everything else in the other rooms.

"Upstairs. Now."

Seeing the look on his face, Ginny quietly complied. She hadn't seen him like this before, but it was clear that he was angry, unbelievably so. But as she made her way up the stairs, Ginny found herself getting pissed off as well. He'd deliberately avoided telling her about whatever operation it was they were running, even though it did concern her directly, after all it was sure to be the reason she had been rescued.

Harry slammed all the doors shut behind them, muttering spells she was certain were to keep her out. When they finally reached the kitchen, he pulled the pantry door shut and fixed her with a murderous glare.

"Just who do you think you are?" he hissed. "Did it ever occur to you that just maybe it was all locked for a reason?"

"Maybe if you want to keep people out you should make modifications to the locking system when they live here," Ginny retorted.

"My mistake. I won't make it again," Harry said. "None of that is any of your business, and I'd advise you to stay out of it in the future."

"None of my business? Stay out of it?" Ginny replied incredulously. "Have you forgotten that I've been fighting this war for years, the same as you? Have you forgotten that I nearly paid for it with my _life?" _Her voice rose to a shout. "Your little operation here is the entire reason we met, so I think it is bloody well me business!

"Exactly," Harry shot back, equally loudly. "I rescued you, brought you back here, my mother healed you and we've taken you into our own home. So I'd suggest you remember that if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here, you'd be in a cell hanging from the roof. So a little fucking courtesy to your host's wishes isn't too much to ask!"

"How dare you!" Ginny yelled at him. "You-you arrogant piece of shit! You might have rescued me, but I still have nightmares every fucking night, and out of consideration for _you _I put a bloody silencing charm on my room so you can get your precious beauty sleep."

"Well that's your choice isn't it?" Harry retorted.

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. "Fuck you," she said quietly, pushing past him and running up the stairs, slamming her door shut behind her.

Harry remained in the kitchen, fists clenched. Seeing a glass on the bench, he grabbed it and flung it at the wall, feeling an intense sense of satisfaction on seeing it shatter.

"Harry?" Lily asked. She was standing in the entrance, eyes wide. "We heard…" Sirius appeared behind her. Every line of Harry's body showed his anger, and he brushed past them, making his way outside.

* * *

><p>Ginny didn't show her face downstairs for the rest of the day. Lily knocked on her door at lunch to receive a muffled 'go away'. The older woman sighed and went back downstairs. Harry hadn't shown up either, although she had heard some noises outside that suggested he was cursing something.<p>

At dinner, Lily took a plate upstairs. "Ginny?" she asked gently. When no reply was forthcoming, she opened the door softly and slipped inside. Ginny was lying on her bed, obviously awake but making no signs she had heard Lily.

Lily placed the plate on the bedside table, sitting on the bed beside the girl. "He'll come around," she said softly. "He's just angry, eh didn't really mean what he said, and I don't think you did either."

When she still got no reply, Lily sighed, getting up and making her way back downstairs, leaving the plate for Ginny. When she returned t the kitchen, Harry was at the table with Sirius, an unreadable expression on his face. The meal passed in silence until Lily couldn't take it anymore.

"Harry," she began.

"Don't," he said flatly.

Lily ignored him and continued. "She's pretty cut up about it-"

She was cut off by Harry slamming his fork down, pushing his chair back violently enough to send it crashing to the floor. Lily flinched at the noise and the glare Harry sent her way before he stalked upstairs. Moments later they heard a door slam shut and Lily sighed, placing her head in her hands. Sirius laid a comforting hand on her arm and she lifted her head to give him a small smile.

"They'll work it out," he said softly. "She was going to find out sooner or later."

"I know," Lily sighed. "It doesn't make it any easier though."

Sirius nodded sympathetically. Harry was her only son, and Lily loved him dearly. But he also knew that she loved Ginny like a daughter, despite the short time they'd known her for. But there was just something about the girl that made her impossible not to love. Both adults realised there was more to the earlier confrontation that simple secret keeping, but they also knew they couldn't interfere. Harry and Ginny would have to sort it out between themselves, for their own sakes.

* * *

><p>Yikes, 3 chapters in two days! I'm on a roll here! Enjoy :)<p> 


	11. Apology

_A warning to the people, the good and the evil_

_This is war_

_To the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim_

_This is war  
><em>

**Chapter 10: ****Apology**

* * *

><p>Harry sighed, staring at the ceiling in frustration. It was nearly 2am, and he hadn't slept a wink. Growling, he rolled over, punching his pillow a few times before flopping flat on his back again. Dammit, he was never going to get to sleep. Not while he still needed to apologise to Ginny. But it was the middle of the night; he wasn't about to go wake her up.<p>

He sighed again. He'd been way out of line he knew. Well, they both had been. She for prying to begin with, even if he would have done exactly the same thing in her place. Him for yelling at her and disregarding everything she said. He'd been way below the belt and now the guilt was eating away at him inside. Ginny was, well, _Ginny _and he didn't want to lose her over something blown out of proportion.

A soft knock on his door brought him back to reality. It opened a crack and a figure appeared.

"Harry?" they whispered. It was Ginny. "Are you awake?"

Harry grunted in response. Sure, he needed to apologise but he hadn't counted on her arriving in his room and he had no idea what to say to her now that she was there. She slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She hesitated and Harry shifted over in the bed, patting the empty space. Ginny bit her lip, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around herself before hesitantly perching on the edge.

"I-I couldn't sleep," she said softly.

"Either," he replied.

She shivered a little and he lifted up the covers, gesturing for her to slip underneath them. When she stared at him in surprise, he kicked himself mentally. Much as she might be putting on a brave face, she'd hardly want to hop into a bed with a half naked guy. Even in winter, all Harry wore to bed were his boxers and he had no doubt that Ginny was well aware of that fact.

But she seemed to make up her mind and joined him under the duvet, careful to keep a distance between them. Her gaze met his for a moment before she dropped her eyes, nervously twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I shouldn't have pried. I know it was none of my business, I just-"

'No," Harry cut her off gently. "You were right you know, it is just as much your business as it is mine. That doesn't mean you should have found out the way you did, but I shouldn't have gone off at you either."

"Were you planning on telling me? Speaking of which, I still don't have the full story."

"I guess at some point…I hadn't really thought about it," Harry admitted.

"I didn't mean what I said you know," Ginny told him, so quietly he could hardly hear it.

"Me neither," he said, staring at her till she raised her eyes to meet his again. He gave her a small smile, gratified to see he return it. "I guess I should explain," he continued.

"Now?" Ginny seemed surprised. "Wouldn't you rather wait till morning?"

Harry shook his head. "If I don't I won't be able to sleep." He manoeuvred himself into a sitting position and she followed suit.

"You have a tattoo!" she said, evidently astonished. Without a shirt on, she could easily see the stag antlers. Her arm darted out and she traced the design on his shoulder with a gentle finger. Harry stared at her and she hastily pulled her hand back. "Sorry," she muttered.

"No, no, you just caught me by surprise is all," he reassured her. "I got it when I was 16. Mum wasn't at all pleased because I went behind her back. But when I showed her she understood. Its for my dad." He fell silent for a moment in contemplation. "It helped me finally find closure about his death. Even if I don't remember him, the loss of a parent…its something that never really heals."

"Why antlers?" Ginny asked.

"He was an animagus. A stag. I thought it was as fitting a way as any of remembering him."

Ginny nodded. "I think it's beautiful," she said, and then flushed a little. "About yesterday morning," she said, changing the subject abruptly. "How come you were back so soon? You can't have been gone more than an hour or so."

"You tried logging onto the computer down there?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded. "I've got fairly…extensive security measures. If the incorrect password is typed in, the system sends an alert to my phone. And even if the correct password is typed, the keyboard recognises fingerprints, and if yours aren't recognised by the system, as having clearance, you still can't access anything."

"You take all this pretty seriously," Ginny said softly.

"We do," Harry replied. "Hence why, when I received the alert, I came back as soon as I'd excused myself. Mum and Sirius weren't far behind. Fortunately the person we were meeting with is an old friend and he understood."

"I'm sorry," Ginny told him for the second time that night.

Harry shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

They both fell silent for a short time, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Harry reached up and scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "I guess I should explain.

"You probably already know some stuff, like the fact that Voldemort killed my dad when I was a baby and was intending to kill mum and as well, and would have if she hadn't fled with me. What you don't know is the reason. There was a prophecy, saying I would be the one to bring about Voldemort's downfall. Crazy I know, but Voldemort believed it to be true.

"Mum found Sirius, and he took us away, overseas to America. It wasn't safe for us to stay n England at that point, even in hiding. I grew up over there until I was 15. By that stage, I knew about everything that had happened. I'd decided I wanted to help fight." Harry shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Needless to say, Mum was less than impressed. It took a couple of months, but I managed to convince them both to move back to England. We bought this place, and remodelled it to suit us.

"I began devising strategies and stepped up my training. I'd been home-schooled my whole life. I probably got a better education than most at any of the world's magical schools, but it was also more concentrated, and bloody hard work. I decided to start using a lot of Muggle things. We already had some stuff, seeing as mum's muggle born. You don't want to know how long it took me to win mum over to the idea of muggle weapons.

"Training was all very well and good, but I wanted to actually get out there and help. I got Sirius on board, which wasn't too hard and we started going out on small missions, disrupting things, taking Death Eaters out of play. Eventually mu joined us, but she prefers no combatant roles when possible. If it comes down to it though, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of her wand.

"I guess you could say we're engaging in a bit of guerrilla warfare. We work alone as far as the magical world is concerned, but we have a lot of allies in the muggle world. The Prime Minister and the Queen know what we're doing, and it's their influence that got us the support of the military and police."

Ginny interrupted him for the first time. "The Queen? You mean…"

"Oh yes," Harry smirked. "Lovely lady she is. We get invitations to dinner every now and then." Ginny looked flabbergasted.

"Anyway," Harry continued. "Whilst the army and police may not actually know what's going on, if they encounter anything 'unusual' they usually call us in, and they know when to give us a wide berth. We've also got full jurisdiction over anything they don't understand, and they never interfere with our work. And f we do need backup, it's guaranteed. Through them, we've got unlimited access to anything we may need. Weapons, technology, every classified database in England, and a good deal overseas as well. Without their help, we'd have a much harder time of it."

"Hold on a sec," Ginny said. "You said you work alone where magic is concerned. How come Ollivander knew you?"

"Ah," Harry said. "Admittedly, there are a few select people who know about us. Some know our true identity, others don't. You brothers fall into the latter category."

"My brothers?"

"The twins. We've had dealings with them in the past for some of their products, sometimes altered for our needs. It's been close to a year since we had any contact with them though. They went underground not long after you were taken I suppose. But we always used an alias working with them, just in case. In fact, Ollivander is one of only two or three who know our actual names."

"So this is why you were able to rescue me," Ginny said softly.

Harry nodded. "We'd gathered intel that he was holding something in high security at Riddle Manor, his ancestral home. That's where he had you. It took us a few weeks, but between the three of us we managed to work out how to get past the wards. It wasn't easy, but by hitting the weakest spot we could find with a special electro magnetic blast, we opened a hole big enough for me to slip through. It closed up quickly though, so we knew we'd have to get them down completely for me to get out.

"Sirius bombed the place with magically modified grenades and small bombs. Some of them didn't get through the shields, but they all gradually weakened them. I think he had a bit more fun than he should have doing it too. He managed to bring the wards down just long enough for me to apparate out with you.

"Going in, we had no idea what was in that cell. All we knew was that Voldemort was desperate to keep it hidden and locked up. Whatever it was, we realised that if we got it out, it would be a massive blow. We certainly didn't expect to find you."

"I'm glad you did," Ginny whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Me too," Harry told her. It was true, had they not attempted what most would consider a suicide mission, breaking into Voldemort's headquarters, Ginny likely would have died. And he would probably have never met her.

"Thank you," Ginny said.

"What for?" he asked.

"For explaining things to me when you didn't have to."

Harry shrugged. "You had as much right to know as anyone. It'll make things easier for all of us too."

Ginny nodded. "You've still got to face him someday don't you?"

"Voldemort? Yeah, I guess I do. Someday. And I'll do my best to make sure he pays for everything he's done, preferably with his life."

Silence fell again. A few minutes later, he looked down at Ginny, only to find her eyes closed and her breathing deep. He hesitated, wondering if he should take her back to her own room. He studied her face observing how peaceful it looked while she was asleep and suddenly couldn't bring himself to disturb her. He reached out, intending to tuck her hair behind her ear when he came to his senses and snatched his hand back. Where had that desire come from?

Shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts, he slid back down the bed, yawning. Now that he had come clean as such, he realised just how tired he was. Closing his eyes, he let s mind go blank and was soon lost to the world of his dreams. An onlooker would have seen his arm snake around the waist of the redheaded girl lying next to him, pulling her close but neither registered the movement, except for their subconscious minds shifting their bodies till they lay comfortably, their breathing matching, looking for all the world like it was an everyday occurrence.


	12. Avoid

I know...I said I was doing a rewrite. I changed my mind! But instead, here's another chapter. Also, check out my new H/G story on my profile :)

_Wanna scream out, no more hiding_

_Don't be afraid of what's inside_

_Gonna tell you, you'll be alright_

_In the aftermath_

**Chapter 11: ****Avoid**

* * *

><p>Harry gave a soft sigh as the light filtering through the blinds couldn't be ignored any longer. Still, he squeezed his eyes shut, determined to pretend he could go back to sleep for as long as possible. He was more than comfortable under the covers, the sweet smell of flowers floating into his nostrils, his arm around something small and warm that fit against his body just so…<p>

His eyes flew open to see red, and lots of it. Ginny's head was just below his face, ad it was her body is arm was around. For a moment he panicked, wondering just how much he'd had to drink the night before if he didn't even remember drinking, much less how the hell Ginny had ended up in his bed. Then it all came flooding back to him. Their fight, his subsequent inability to sleep, Ginny coming into his room and the hours they'd spent talking. Taking a deep breath, he carefully extracted himself from her whilst trying not to wake her. Somehow in the night he'd ended up spooning her, and he didn't think she would take it well if he still as when she woke up.

He breathed a soft sigh of relief as she stayed sound asleep, and he propped himself up a little. His gaze turned back to the girl next to him. She looked so peaceful as she slept, so young and innocent. There was no hint to the horrors that had befallen her. He reached out a hand towards her face, but snatched it back when he realised what he was doing. She stirred ever so slightly, rolling a little to face him. Harry's breath caught a little. He'd known she was attractive, but 'pretty' didn't seem to suffice anymore. Somewhat surprised, he realised he thought she was beautiful.

Harry shook his head, trying to clear it of his strange turn of thought. He shouldn't be thinking like that about her, didn't want to see where it led. But he did, he desperately did. It took an enormous amount of willpower to wrench his mind, and briefly his eyes, away from the redhead.

As he was pondering his next move, his door cracked open.

"Harry?" Lily said, moving half into the room. "Have you seen Ginny? She's not in her room or anywhere downstairs…" she trailed off, her eyes widening. "What the bloody hell is going on?" she hissed, glaring at him.

"Nothing," Harry hurriedly reassured her. "Nothing's going on, she just came to talk last night and we ended up falling asleep. That's all I swear, you know I wouldn't do anything."

Lily pursed her lips before her face softened slightly. "I know," she said, and backed out of the room. "But Harry?"

He met her calculating, shrewd gaze.

"Just…be careful, alright?"

Harry nodded, a little unsure of what she meant, but agreeing nonetheless. Lily closed the door softly and Harry decided he should probably wake Ginny up.

"Gin," he said softly, shaking her slightly. "Gin, wake up."

"Mmhm," she murmured.

"Ginny," Harry repeated.

"Go 'way," she groaned, burying her face in the pillow. Suddenly, she flew upright, eyes wide. "What the bloody fucking _hell?"_ she yelled, staring at him, whether in fear, shock or anger he couldn't tell. It was probably a mixture of all three.

Harry jumped, shifting a bit further away from her, hands raised.

"You do remember last night don't you?" he asked. _Shit, shit, SHIT that was the wrong thing to say._

Ginny's eyes widened further, if that was even possible. The anger and shock were gone, replaced by pure fear.

"No, no, no, God no!" Harry desperately tried to backtrack. "That's not what I meant! We fell asleep once we were done talking, that's all!" He stared at her, calling himself every name he could think of in his head.

"You promise nothing else happened?" Ginny asked, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

Harry nodded earnestly. "I swear Ginny. I wouldn't take advantage of you."

She dropped her gaze. "I know," she said softly. "I-I'm sorry…I just…"

He placed his hand on her knee. "Its fine. Really."

Ginny gave him a tiny smile. As his mind went back to the events of the previous day, he realised he'd forgotten something she'd said in the heat of the fight, that had struck a chord in him even if he'd ignored it at the time.

"Did you mean what you said? About having nightmares every night?"

Ginny gaped at him for a moment. Clearly she hadn't expected him to remember. "I-I…" She bit her lip. "Yeah," she whispered, so softly he could barely hear it. She stared at the blankets, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Ginny," Harry sighed. "Talk to me about them. Please. Or mum."

Ginny shook her head. He reached out a hand to her but withdrew when she flinched away.

"Ginny, please."

"No," she burst out forcefully. "I-I can't. Not yet…please, you have to understand…I can't…" Wrapping her arms around herself she removed herself from the bed, slipping out of his room without so much as a backward glance.

"Damn," Harry swore softly.

* * *

><p>Ginny hurried into her room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, eyes closed. Waking up in Harry's bed had shaken her more than she cared to let on. Logically she knew he would never do anything to hurt her, but the memories were still fresh, overpowering. And when he'd asked about the nightmares…she just couldn't relive them in daylight. It was bad enough when they came in her sleep. Being awake was her one refuge from them, her sanctuary. Admittedly she had slept peacefully for the first time in weeks, but that was just a lucky break. She had no doubt they would return in full force when she went to bed.<p>

Slowly making her way over to her bed, she slumped down on it. The conversation of the night before was replaying through her mind. Things certainly made more sense now, like why Harry had been around to rescue her, why he, Lily and Sirius would disappear for an hour or two when she knew they hadn't left the house, and why they would go out and dodge any questions she asked.

In a way she envied them, being able to actually do something to help with the war. Before her capture, even though she had been of age, her mother had staunchly refused to let her do much of anything. Grudgingly, she had been allowed to sit in on Order meetings, but going along to raids, doing any fighting has been out of the question. Her brothers had mostly been of the same opinion, except Bill. That had surprised her. She had expected him, being the oldest, to be the most protective but he had taken her side and backed her up.

Ginny remembered how furious she had been at being forced to sit on the sidelines. She might not have had an awful lot of training when it came to a fight, but she could beat most of her brothers in a duel. And she was powerful, she knew that. Not to mention her extra ability with fire. That if nothing else would have come close to ensuring her safety. But no, she had to stay home like a good girl.

But now, well, maybe now things would be different. If she ever found her family again, they couldn't possibly refuse her wishes, after everything that had happened to her, everything she's seen. Her face twisted into a wry grin. Who was she kidding? They'd all use it against her; tell her that was exactly why she shouldn't risk herself. She wondered if Harry and Lily would be willing to give her a hand? Perhaps they could sway her family's opinion…

As she had the thought, another idea entered her head. Harry had his own operation going on, and realistically there was just the three of them. An extra hand wouldn't go astray…but would he let her help? He certainly seemed more reasonable than her brothers, but you never knew when someone might become pigheaded and protective.

Ginny decided to mull the possibility over in her mind and sit on it for a few days. She wanted to help, she really did, and she knew she could. She just needed the chance. But just in case he wasn't going to take it well, she didn't want to ask Harry just yet. After their fight yesterday, things would be a little shaky between them. No point in adding fuel to the fire.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Harry had dressed and trudged his way downstairs, flopping into a chair at the table. Lily placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him, eyeing him curiously when he picked at it, his mind evidently elsewhere.<p>

"Is Ginny coming down?" she asked. Harry shrugged. "Don't tell me you've been ta each other again," Lily warned. He shook his head. "Then what is it?"

He shrugged again. Lil rolled her eyes and sighed. It was obvious he was bothered by whatever happened after Ginny woke up, but didn't intend to share.

When Ginny hadn't made an appearance ten minutes later, Lily loaded up a plate, heading up the stairs. She knocked on Ginny's door, pushing it open when the girl invited her in. On seeing her, Lily nearly laughed. She wore the same, morose sort of expression that Harry had.

"Everything alright?" Lily asked, sitting on the bed beside her and handing her the plate. Ginny shrugged.

"I guess."

Lily nearly felt like screaming. The pair were just so bloody infuriating. What's worse, both were being too thick headed to see _why _tensions were rising all of a sudden.

Realising she wasn't going to get anymore out of Ginny than she had from Harry, Lily stood up.

"If you ever want to talk, I'm here alright?"

Ginny nodded, flashing Lily a small smile. The older woman gave a soft sigh, exiting Ginny's room and closing the door. She wished she could give them both a little push in the right direction, but she knew she had to just let nature take its course, and wait for them to figure things out on their own.


	13. Reconcile

Argh, so sorry I haven't updated in ages! It was really hard to get this chapter out, and I don't really like it, but I realised that I did need to sort things out a bit between Ginny and Sirius after what happened the first time they met. I know it's a bit short, but the next one should be longer hopefully.

_And would you call those friends you never see_

_Reminisce old memories  
><em>

_Would you forgive your enemies  
><em>

_Would you find that one you're dreaming of  
><em>

**Chapter 12: Reconcile **

* * *

><p>"Harry, do you know where I might find Sirius?"<p>

Harry's head shot up and he looked at Ginny quizzically, a tiny frown forming on his forehead.

"What for?" he asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I've got something I want to ask him, that's all." She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to question her further. His frown deepened, but he refrained from voicing his thoughts.

"He's probably in the garage tinkering with the new bikes."

"Thanks," Ginny turned and headed towards the hallway, stopping when Harry called after her.

"Ginny? Do you want me to come?"

Ginny hesitated for a moment, briefly considering it but this was something she needed to do on her own.

"No, I'll be fine." There was that frown again, but again Harry was quiet, lifting his shoulders in a tiny shrug and leaving it be.

Ginny opened the door to the garage and sure enough Sirius was in there, fiddling, as Harry had said, with one of the new motorbikes that had arrived the previous day. Being a muggle machine, Ginny imagined Sirius was adding charms of various sorts, although she wasn't privy to any details. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"Sirius?" she asked.

He looked up and offered her a small smile. "Ginny," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"I-umm..." Ginny hesitated, fighting back a feeling of panic as her brain replaced Sirius with his slightly younger brother, his face leering at her and-she placed a firm lid on those thoughts. Sirius wasn't Regulus, however much they may look alike. "I'd like to talk to you, if you're not too busy..."

"Not at all," he replied, putting down his wand and sitting sideways on the bike. "Take a seat," he said. Ginny followed his example, seeing as there weren't any other options. She was silent for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts, trying to decide where to start. She was thankful that he didn't pressure her, leaving her to take her time.

"I'm...sorry for the way I've been acting towards you," she began. "I know I've been stand offish even though you've never done anything to deserve it and..." she trailed off, her thoughts too jumbled to continue.

"Ginny," Sirius said softly. "You don't have to apologise. For anything. It's not your fault, it's none of our faults. What my brother did...is unforgivable. I swear to you that if I ever see him again, I'll kill him."

Ginny nodded. "You'll have to get in line I think."

"Harry?"

"Yeah. Lily too. And most likely my family if-if I ever find them. I wouldn't mind a shot myself, in fact I think I should be first in line."

"That you should," Sirius agreed. "No one has more right to his head than you."

They fell into a silence for a short while, neither comfortable nor awkward. Sirius was the first to break it.

"My..._brother,_" he almost spat the word out, "was always such a-a Black. Right from day one. And me, well...I suppose I never really held to my family's beliefs and when I was sorted into Gryffindor, it didn't go down well."

"I can imagine," Ginny said softly.

"Regulus and I never got along well as children, and that was the final straw. I don't think he spoke to me for a year after that. Then he was sorted into Slytherin and we had the polar opposites for friends. In our later years, with Voldemort's rise to power, well, he went one way, I went the other. Even then his...opinion of the uses of women was _selective _and it just got worse. I may have been something of a player myself at school, but trust me Ginny, nothing ever _ever _happened that wasn't fully consensual."

"I know," Ginny said. "And I never thought you were like _that,_ but that first day when you walked in, and you look so much like him, I panicked. I wasn't myself and I didn't fully believe I was safe. And these past few weeks, I've barely got things sorted in my head. I don't want you to think that I hate you, or distrust you because of your brother."

"You don't have to worry about that," Sirius told her. Ginny smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said. "Really."

"Where's Ginny?" Lily asked, poking her head into Harry's room.

"Why am I the go to person when people need finding?" Harry muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Lily said, arching her eyebrow at him.

"Er…nothing, I think she's in the garage. She wanted to talk to Sirius."

"Really? About what?"

"Don't ask me," Harry shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me. What do you want her for?"

"To organize things for tonight," Lily replied.

Harry frowned at her and Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. "The function at Buckingham Palace." Noticing Harry's continued confusion, it was Lily's turn to frown. "You did tell her and ask her to come along didn't you?"

"I erm…forgot?" Harry attempted a sheepish smile but Lily wasn't convinced.

"No you didn't, I reminded you last night. What's the real reason you didn't tell her?"

Harry's smile quickly turned to a glare. "Because she doesn't need to be involved."

"This isn't involving her Harry. It's including her so she feels like she belongs and she isn't left here on her own! She already knows enough about what we do to come along without any awkward questions."

Harry sighed. "Fine."

"Off you go then. I'm not the one she's technically going with."

Harry glared at her again and stood up, brushing past his mother on his way out.

"Mind if I interrupt?"

Ginny's head shot around at Harry's voice. He was leaning against the doorframe, a quizzical look on his face and his eyes flickering between her and Sirius.

"Nah, go ahead," Sirius said. "I should get back to work on these anyway. Thanks for the chat Ginny."

"Anytime," she replied, standing up and dusting herself off a little, sending Sirius a genuine smile. He returned it and Ginny followed Harry out of the garage.

"So," he asked, his hands shoved inside his pockets. "What were you two talking about?"

Ginny was quiet for a moment. Now that she thought about it, it had taken a huge mount of self-persuasion to go talk to the man at all, and whilst it had gone well, now that it was over, it was a little overwhelming.

"Just…just clearing a few things up," she said softly. Harry nodded, recognizing the need to let it be and not push her.

"Anyway, I ah, realized I had forgotten to tell you we've a function to go to tonight…" He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very awkward about asking her to go. It wasn't as if it was an actual _date _per say, but his feelings and reactions to Ginny of late had been jumbled and confusing.

"And I was wondering if you wanted to come. With me. As my date. But not an actual date, if you know what I mean, but technically that's what you'll be considered-"

"Harry, shut up," Ginny said, looking at him in amusement. She'd never seen him fumbling over himself before. He was always so confident and self-assured. It was almost refreshing to see him hesitant, as well as being just a bit funny. He smiled sheepishly at her.

"I'd love to, thank you," she said, trying to ignore the slight flutter in her stomach. "Where are we going?"

"Buckingham Palace," Harry replied. Ginny's mouth dropped open.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. He'd been there often enough for it to be no big deal now. But he supposed for Ginny it was huge.

"Is this for…business?"

Harry nodded. There would be numerous important people there. Royals, aristocrats, important CEO's, Defence commanders, intelligence agency top dogs. Several of which they had things to discuss with. And it was expected for them to attend. The current Minister for Magic would also be there. It was a distasteful thought, but Voldemort controlled the man. Of course, he had no idea that Harry was, well, Harry, but he would still endeavor to avoid the Minister as much as possible. Even as he was thinking about it, he realized the man would possibly have a description of Ginny.

"Listen, Gin…The Minister of Magic is going to be there. It should be ok, you're probably not going to look awfully similar to any photos he may have seen of you, but I'll point him out to you. You'll need to stay as far away from him as possible and…just stick close to me ok?"

"Ok," Ginny replied. She knew as well as anyone who the Minister was. And the Death eaters would be scouring the country for her, she was certain. Of course, they wouldn't expect to find her in a muggle function and definitely not one at the palace. But it never hurt to be careful.

"Ginny! Harry!" Lily's voice floated down the stairs.

"Coming Mum!" Harry called back, rolling his eyes slightly. Turning back to Ginny, he said, "Mum'll want to help you get ready, and-" he checked his watch "-we don't have a huge amount of time. We're driving to London, so we need to leave in a couple of hours."

"Are Lily and Sirius coming as well?"

"Yeah, they usually go 'together' as it were. It's more socially acceptable for women to be accompanied by a man. Don't ask me why, I think it's a bit silly, but I suppose its not all that bad of an idea really. But off you go, Mum's probably getting impatient."

Ginny let out a short laugh and jogged up the stairs, leaving Harry behind.


	14. Confidence

_Stay strong you are not lost, come on and fix your eyes ahead  
><em>

_There's a new dawn to light our day  
><em>

_Stay strong you and I run, for the prize that lies ahead  
><em>

_We're come too far to lose our way  
><em>

**Chapter 13: Confidence**

* * *

><p>Ginny stood, staring at the dress that lay on Lily's bed. It was gorgeous, to be sure, the silky blue material catching the light and the delicate beading giving it elegance. Under other circumstances, or rather, <em>before, <em>she would be delighted to wear it. But now she was hesitating. Trying it on in the shop had been one thing, but wearing it in public was another entirely. She would be so _exposed_, or at least it felt that way. Whilst the dress fell to the floor, her shoulders, upper back and chest would be bare and Ginny's subconscious told her everyone would be staring, somehow able to see the scars that weren't really there.

She raised her eyes to the bathroom door as Lily re-entered the bedroom in a black dress with a long slit up one leg. It looked stunning on her, the black offsetting her dark red hair perfectly.

"You look lovely," Ginny said softly, attempting a smile, which quickly faded as her gaze fell back on her own dress.

"Ginny?" Lily asked. "What's the matter?"

Ginny bit her lip, trying to figure out how to voice her completely irrational fears without seeming like a total idiot.

"I-it…my scars…" she managed to get out before sighing and shaking her head.

"Oh Ginny," Lily said. The girl was usually so strong and wilful that it was easy to forget how her ordeal had and still did affect her. "You're beautiful. You don't have any scars for people to see. No one is going to be looking at you like that."

Ginny sucked in a deep breath. "I-I know. I just…"

Lily stepped over and gathered the younger woman in her arms in a hug.

"I understand," she said softly. "If you can't do it, that's ok. Harry will understand."

At the mention of Harry, Ginny straightened, returning Lily's hug briefly before stepping back.

"No, no I can do this. I _will _do this."

"That's my girl," Lily gave her an approving smile. "Best hop to it then. Get the dress on and then I'll come help you with your hair and makeup."

Ginny gave her a grateful smile, then grabbed the dress and headed into the bathroom. Zipping it up, she peered closely at herself in the mirror. Smooth, pale shoulders with a few freckles here and there. Somehow, she'd managed to mostly escape the freckles curse that usually went hand in hand with red hair. Just as Lily had said, there were barely any visible scars, and those that were blended in with her skin tone sufficiently to make them difficult to see. No one could possibly tell what they were from unless they already knew. Another few years and they would be virtually invisible.

Several minutes later, she was sitting in front of the mirror as Lily fussed over her hair, twisting the red strands this way and that, bunching it up in different ways. Finally they settled on a messy bun that sat to ne side, with tendrils of hair left loose and her fringe swept to one side. Lily performed a few charms to ensure it would stay in place then reached for the makeup.

"Lily," Ginny said. "Is there any, I don't know, social protocols or something I need to be aware of? I mean…there's going to be some pretty important people there."

"Mmm," Lily said, taking the tube of mascara out from between her teeth and applying it to Ginny's lashes. "For the most part just follow Harry's lead. You shouldn't need to talk a whole lot. If you happen to meet anyone from the monarchy, a curtsey would be expected. And it is more socially acceptable for people like that to speak first. And address them by their titles unless they say otherwise of course. But in general, just be polite, ad a bit of feminine charm never goes astray at these things."

Ginny nodded, forgetting the need to keep her head still. Lily yanked the eyeliner away before she could smear it across Ginny's face and gave her a mock glare.

"Sorry," Ginny said sheepishly.

"There," Lily declared a little while later, stepping back and letting Ginny examine herself in the mirror. Her eyes were outlined in black, the lines of makeup appearing to elongate them slightly. Lily had applied a little eye shadow for a smoky effect and Ginny was surprised by how it brought out the chocolate colour of her eyes. The foundation was on enough for a smooth face, easily done due to Ginny's naturally clear, smooth skin, but not enough to give a caked appearance and a touch of bronzer highlighted her cheekbones.

She looked like herself, yet as far as Ginny was concerned, a much more beautiful version of herself. She turned around, a smile on her face.

"Thankyou," she said to Lily. The older woman smiled back, then handed her a few pieces of jewellery. A delicate silver bangle and a pair of twisted, dangly earrings. Ginny put them on, then followed Lily out of the bathroom where there was a pair of shoes waiting for her. She slipped the black pumps on, hoping she would still be able to walk in such things after not wearing a pair in so long.

"Ready?" Lily asked. Having completed her outfit with some strappy silver stilettos.

"As I'll ever be," Ginny said with a wry grin.

"Come on then, the boys will be waiting."

* * *

><p>Harry rocked back on his heels at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Ginny and his mother to come downstairs. Sirius leaned against the wall, smirking at him.<p>

"Bit nervous there aren't we?"

"No," Harry replied shortly.

"Really? I've never known you to be so fidgety for one of these before."

Harry glared at his godfather, who gave him a wide grin in reply. Before either could continue their conversation, there was a noise at the top of the stairs. Lily came down first and gave her son a small hug, then jerked her head meaningfully back to the stairs where Ginny was descending.

Harry's breath caught as he looked at her. She truly was stunning. Ginny gave him a nervous little smile and he hurriedly moved forward.

"You look…beautiful," he said softly and her smiled widened a little.

"Thankyou," she murmured. He took her hand and clasped it in his, leading her down the hallway to the garage. She gave him an odd look, but didn't voice whatever was going through her mind. Lily and Sirius had gone before them, and were sliding into the shiny black sedan on one side of the garage. Ginny wasn't sure of the make of the car, the badge wasn't one commonly seen in England, but it looked expensive.

Harry steered her towards the other car, a gleaming red Ferrari with the top down. This sort of car Ginny did know a little about, and it brought home again just how well off the Potters were. Harry opened the passenger door and she slid in, hitching the skirt of her dress up to keep it off the ground. Harry ducked around the other side and soon they were on the street, the car gliding along, sliding smoothly through the corners. Ginny was glad for the charms Lily had applied to her hair, otherwise it would be flying all over the place like Harry's was. But his was perpetually messy anyway; Ginny figured it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.

Several hours later, with the sun going down and the lights of London growing closer, Harry put the top down. They slowed down as they entered the city, weaving their way in and out of traffic.

"Are you meant to be doing this?" Ginny asked, as he swerved around one car and slid into the gap between another two. Harry shrugged.

"Probably not. Technically it's breaking the road rules I suppose."

"You're not worried you'll get picked up for it?"

Harry grinned at her. "That's the advantage of having friends in high places," he told her.

Ginny frowned. That sounded like corruption and bribery to her, and it smacked her of the Ministry of Magic and the way the rich families like the Malfoys bought their way out of everything.

Sensing her apprehension, Harry placed a hand on her leg.

"It's not really like that Ginny. It's more that we often have need to get place quickly, and if that means disobeying a few rules, that's what it means. We've got…clearance…you might say, to be discerning about such matters. If I was being a danger to other drivers and being reckless, yeah, I'd get booked. But as it is, we'll be fine. Besides, we've somewhere important to be tonight. Can't keep the queen waiting can we?"

Ginny shook her head, the corners of her mouth turning up in a small smile.

"No, I guess we can't," she said.

A short while later, having navigated London's evening traffic and with darkness having fallen, Harry pulled up at the gates to the palace, lowering the window and showing his ID to the guards. They waved him on through and he brought the car around, following the signs for parking. He slid it into a spot and Ginny noticed the car Lily and Sirius had taken next to it. As Ginny looked around, she noticed other guests stopping at the steps near the entrance, their chauffeurs or a staff member then parking the car.

"Harry? Why'd you guys park the cars yourselves?"

"Oh," Harry was a little surprised by her question. "We've modified the cars in a few ways with magic, and its best not to let anyone, muggle or otherwise to drive them, even just to park. It's a bit safer that way."

Ginny nodded, stepping out of the car. Harry locked it, and then offered her his arm.

"Shall we?" he asked. Ginny took a breath, her earlier nerves coming back in full force. Harry turned to her. "Hey," he said. "You'll be fine. I promise."

Ginny blew her breath out and nodded. "Ok," she replied softly. Harry squeezed her hand reassuringly, and then led her towards the people and the lights.

* * *

><p>The second half of this is coming right up I promise (it's nearly done being written). It was either one really long chapter, or split it into two more normal length chapters.<p> 


	15. Closer

_Before you break you have to shed your armour_

_Take a trip and fall into the glitter  
><em>

_Tell a stranger that they're beautiful  
><em>

_So all you feel is love  
><em>

**Chapter 14: Closer**

* * *

><p>Ginny lifted her skirt a little to avoid stepping on it as they went up the stairs and then they were stopping next to a doorman.<p>

"Mr Potter, so glad you could make it," the man said.

"Good to see you Mark," Harry replied. "Haven't given it up yet I see."

The man shrugged. "You know me. Always up for a chance to rub shoulders with people."

Harry grinned. "Of course," he said. "See you around."

'Mark' raised one finger to his forehead and gave Ginny a smile as they passed.

"You know him?" she asked Harry softly.

"Mmm," he said in reply in a lowered tone. "He's not actually a doorman. He works for MI5. He'll be here for security most likely, but acting doorman is his way of casing everyone. Quite effective too."

Ginny simply nodded. She wasn't sure what MI5 actually was, but she guessed it was some sort of law enforcement type arrangement, probably like the Auror Corps in the wizarding world. Suddenly, a thought struck her as she saw a vaguely familiar figure across the room.

"Harry," she whispered. He bent his head a little towards her. "What if the Minister-" there was no need to specify which one "-hears your name? Or mine?"

"He won't," Harry replied with confidence. "I've already charmed him so he thinks he hears something else. Its fine."

"Ok," she breathed. He'd thought of everything.

They moved through the wide hallway and were ushered into the main room. Harry pointed a few people out to her, for which Ginny was thankful. She'd hate to find herself talking to someone important without realising who they were.

"Harry!" a voice said to Ginny's right. She looked around to find a tall dark haired man approaching them, a smile on his face.

"Sir John," Harry replied, shaking his hand.

"None of that sir business Harry, really."

Harry lifted his shoulders in a tiny shrug, a smile on his face. "If you insist," he said.

"That I do," the man identified as Sir John replied, then turned to Ginny, offering his hand. "I don't believe we've met…"

"Ginny Weasley," Harry supplied.

Ginny shook the man's hand. "Pleased to meet you," she said, hoping it was the right things to say. He smiled at her and engaged Harry in small chit chat for a few minutes before moving off. But Ginny could have sworn she'd seen a flicker of recognition in the man's eyes at the mention of her name.

"That was Sir John Sawers. He's the head of MI6," Harry told her.

"He knows, doesn't he." It was a statement, not a question.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he does."

"Ok," Ginny said. "How many…?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure, but there'll be a few. We had to give some details of our operation when we went in and got you. They know your name and that you were held for some time, but none of them know what really happened to you beyond what they've guessed. We didn't think it was right for them to know."

"Thanks," Ginny said. Harry nodded in reply and then they were weaving between people again. For the next hour or so, they stopped to talk to various people, and Ginny was trying to keep all the names and faces straight in her head. True to his word, the Minister of Magic was unaware of their presence and she hardly saw him all night. Once or twice they passed Lily and Sirius, but did not stop to talk as the pair were usually engaged in deep conversation.

"Hey Gin," Harry said. "I've a few people I need to discuss some business with. Will you be alright on your own for a bit?"

"I-yeah," Ginny said.

"You're sure?" Harry frowned a little at her.

"I'll be fine," Ginny told him, giving him a little push. "Go."

A few minutes later, sipping from her glass of champagne, she found herself joined by Lily.

"How are you going?" Lily asked. Normally it would be a friendly question, but Ginny could hear the undercurrent in her tone.

"Fine actually," she replied.

"Good," Lily smiled. "Where's Harry disappeared to?"

"He said he had some business to discuss," Ginny said. "He's just over there," she pointed to her left, where she could just make out his messy hair.

After a while, Lily having left to converse with a few people, Ginny was observing the people on the dance floor twirling around when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped a little and turned to find Sirius.

"Care for a dance?" he asked.

"Why not," Ginny replied and he led her over, resting a hand on her waist as they moved around the floor.

"You do look lovely," Sirius told her.

* * *

><p>They had been circling for a little while when someone placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder.<p>

"May I cut in?" Harry asked, smiling. Sirius passed Ginny to him and gave her a small bow, at which she rolled her eyes. Ginny found herself whirling around again, this time with a different feeling. Dancing with Sirius had been just that, a dance between friends. But with Harry it was something else. He stood closer to her, the hand on her waist drawing her body against his.

On the other side of the floor, Lily, now dancing with Sirius, looked over at her son and the girl she viewed as a daughter and smiled. Sirius followed her gaze and a smirk appeared on his face.

"They do look lovely together don't they," Lily said softly.

"I just wish they'd hurry up and realise it," Sirius grumbled. Lily inclined her head in agreement. "I'm tempted just to knock their heads together and have it over with," he continued.

"Don't," Lily warned him. "It has to happen on its own. And…I don't think Ginny's ready for something like that yet."

"I know Lils, I was only joking. Don't worry," he reassured her.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready to go home?" Harry asked.<p>

Ginny looked up at him, suddenly aware of just how close they were, her heels putting her head closer to his than it would be normally. He was looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his face and there was something in his green eyes that Ginny couldn't quite put her finger on.

"You don't need to stay, talk to more people?" she asked. Truthfully, she was ready to head off, but she didn't want to cause any trouble.

"I could, in fact I probably should, but that's not as important as what you need," he told her seriously.

"Harry, I'm fine. We can stay."

"Ginny," he sighed. "Don't lie. Please. If you need to go, we'll go. You're more important than anyone else here."

Ginny wondered exactly what he meant by that, but she knew he was right about the rest of it. She couldn't take a whole lot more; her nerves were wearing thin. "Alright," she said. Harry nodded and steered them away from the rest of the dancers towards the corner Lily and Sirius were standing in.

"We're going to head off," he told them. Lily gave Ginny a shrewd glance and nodded.

"We'll stay for a while longer," she said.

Harry led Ginny to the exit, stopping to say farewell to a few people. When she slid into the passenger seat of the car, she slipped her shoes off with a soft groan of relief.

"You ok?" Harry asked.

"My feet are killing me," Ginny said, showing him the shoe.

"Oh, right. I can see why," he said as he started the engine. "I don't know how you can wear those things, not to mention walk and dance in them. It's asking for a broken ankle."

Ginny shrugged. "You're not a woman," she said.

"So glad you noticed," Harry replied dryly. Ginny gave him a mock glare, settling into her seat as they manoeuvred into the traffic. Her stomach gave a low rumble and her face flushed.

"Did you want something to eat?"

"Umm, yeah. If that's not to much trouble."

"None at all. Is a burger alright?"

"Whatever. I'm a Weasley. We eat just about anything."

Harry snorted in amusement, then flicked his indicator on and pulled into a place with big yellow M's everywhere.

"Be right back," he said, jumping out. Sure enough, he came back a few minutes later with burgers, chips and drinks.

"You know the brilliant thing about magic?" he told her and Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You can eat in the car and if you spill something, it's gone in an instant and won't stain." Ginny supposed that was true, and a muggle probably wouldn't let anyone eat in such an expensive car.

Being nearly midnight, the traffic in the city had eased somewhat and it was a quick trip back out to the highway, where Harry gunned the engine and they rocketed out at a speed that Ginny was sure was well above the limit. Finished with her meal, she wiped her fingers on a napkin.

"Mum would have had a heart attack if she saw me eating something like that," she said. "She always liked to cook fresh, healthy food…" Ginny trailed off, biting her lip, trying to force the lump in her throat back down. Little things like that brought the memories of home back so strongly. Harry put a comforting hand over her own resting on her thigh and laced their fingers together. She sniffed a little, glad when Harry stayed silent. This was one of those times where comforting words made no difference. It was nearly a year since she'd seen any of her family and she missed them more every day.

Some time later, Harry looked over at Ginny to find with surprise she was asleep. He accelerated a little more. The car seat couldn't be comfortable to sleep in and the sooner they got home the sooner Ginny could get to bed. It had been a long day, and she was probably more emotionally exhausted than anything.

It wasn't long before their exit came and they left the highway for the country roads. He slowed down a little, but not much. The car could handle the turns at high speeds and heaven knew he had plenty of practice at it. The fast pace meant it was little more than an hour before they reached the long driveway that led to the house and it was only then that Harry slowed down to a more sensible pace before sliding the car into its spot in the garage. He reached over and gave Ginny's shoulder a little shake.

"Gin," he said softly. "We're home."

She barely stirred and Harry shook his head, a tiny smile lifting the corners of his mouth. He stepped out of the car, moving around to open Ginny's door. Gently, he scooped her up, snagging her shoes as he went. He nudged the door shut with his hip and carefully made his way inside and up the stairs to her room.

Laying her down on her bed, he realised that she shouldn't sleep in the dress she was wearing. But at the same time, there was no way in hell he was going to change her clothes. He was _not _going to break her trust like that. Reluctantly, he decided he was going to have to wake her up, much as he was loath to do so.

"Hey Ginny," he shook her shoulder again. "You need to wake up."

This time she did stir. "Hmmm…." She mumbled, her eyelids fluttering open. "Harry?"

"We're home," he told her. "You should get changed." With that, he exited the room and shut the door to give her privacy. Shortly, he heard her telling him to come back in. He stepped inside to see her curled up under the covers, looking like she was about to fall asleep again.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Nearly 3am," Harry said., sitting on the edge of the bed. The function had been a late one.

"Oh," she replied with a yawn.

"I'll let you get some sleep," Harry said, rising and turning. He stopped when her hand grabbed his.

"Stay? Just for a little while."

Harry nodded, pulling the armchair next to the bed. Ginny closed her eyes, her hand still holding his and was soon fast asleep. Harry stayed in the chair just watching her, feeling oddly protective. He'd seen tonight just how vulnerable she still was underneath the strong exterior. He knew it had been a big step for her to go to London with him. A step that was hopefully one closer to a full recovery for her.

Perhaps half an hour later, he heard the faint noises of another car pulling into the garage and he gently slipped his hand out of Ginny's, brushing a piece of hair away from her face and taking on last look before exiting the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

He made his way down the stairs, realising for the first time that he was still wearing his jacket and tie. Loosening the latter, he greeted his mother and godfather as they came in.

"Ginny's asleep," he said.

"Is she alright?" Lily asked in concern.

"Yeah, she's just a bit drained," Harry replied.

Lily nodded. "Go to bed," she told her son. "You look beat."

Harry gave a tired smile. He was wiped, and the thought of bed was more than appealing.

"Night," he told the two and headed back up stairs, Lily smiling fondly after him.

* * *

><p>There we go! A little bit of HarryGinny fluffiness in there.

Things are going to start heating up in the next chapter and moving along a bit. In case anyone is wondering, yes, Ginny will be reunited with her family. I know pretty much exactly how its going to happen, and hopefully you won't see it coming a mile off! Also, it shouldn't be _too _much longer before the pair are a couple. I can't give an exact time, but probably six or so chapters. Maybe. Depending on how things pan out. I know when they're going to get together, its just a case of how much happens in between now and then! As for how long this story will be, well, that remains to be seen. I definitely have quite a few major events pretty well planned out, but its the filler stuff that is as yet mostly undecided! It's likely to be somewhere around 40 chapters, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less. At this stage.

Thanks for all the reviews and favourites! If you've got any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to address them :)


	16. Dispute

_Fight for all you know, when your back's against the wall_

_Stand against the liars  
><em>

_Stronger than before, when your life becomes a war  
><em>

_Set the world on fire  
><em>

**Chapter 15: Dispute**

* * *

><p>"I've been thinking," Ginny said partway through dinner one night, nearly a week after the function in London. "For the past few years I've felt kind of useless so far as the war goes," she flicked her eyes around to see all three staring at her. Sirius and Lily merely looked interested but Harry's jaw was clenched tight, his fingers fisting around his fork. "And I want to help out. I'm not useless, I can fight and more. If you'll have me, I'd like to join you guys in what you do."<p>

For a moment there was silence. Ginny waited, aware that she'd dropped something of a bombshell on them. Finally, with a glance at Harry, Lily opened her mouth.

"I don't see why not," she said. "I think it's a good ide-"

"No," Harry cut her off sharply. "Absolutely not."

"Harry," Lily began, but the glare he shot her stopped her in her tracks, even resulting in a slight flinch.

"I-" Ginny said.

"No," Harry repeated sharply. His fork clattered to his plate and he shoved his chair back violently, the piece of furniture hitting the ground. He stalked over to the closed doors and crossed his arms, staring out the back. Ginny could see the muscles in his forearms tensing as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Lily," Ginny said, turning to the older woman.

"I'm sorry Ginny," she said. "But it's not up to me. If it were, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But Harry's the boss." She was genuinely apologetic, but before Ginny could say anything else, or Sirius could make any input, Harry had turned back around.

"Damn fucking straight I am. And I said no. That's final."

He stalked out of the room and moments later they heard the garage door slam and Ginny flinched. Tires squealed and an engine was gunned as Harry roared away in one of the cars. The noise faded, but not before there were more screeches of rubber on the road. Ginny bit her lip and blinked several times in quick succession, then dropped her fork and dashed up the stairs.

Lily dropped her head into her hands and sighed. Sirius blew out a breath.

"Well…" he said. "That didn't exactly go very well…stupid fucking dim-witted arsehole of a godson." He glanced at Lily. "Sorry," he said, not sounding like it in the slightest.

"Go ahead," Lily told him. "Say what you like, I'm going to agree and probably join you. I don't see the issue in it."

"Me either. The girl's got spunk, and I'm willing to be she wouldn't go down easy in a fight."

"I guess I should go up and see her," Lily said.

"Go," Sirius agreed. "I'll clear up down here."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Harry tore along the winding country roads, the accelerator pressed to the floor, yanking the car around the corners. He was pissed. Bloody fucking pissed. And he didn't know why. Which made him even angrier. Every now and then there was a squeal from the tires when he lost it slightly on a particularly sharp turn, but it only fuelled the adrenaline now coursing through his veins. Vaguely his brain registered that he should slow down before he crashed and maimed or killed himself and anyone who happened to be around, but the rest of his mind overrode the sensible notion.<p>

The usual hour trip to the nearest decent sized town cut down to fifteen minutes, Harry pulled up outside the dodgiest pub he could find. Shoving the door shut, he locked the car even though there was no need for it. The charms coupled with anti theft technology ensured it wouldn't be going anywhere or getting damaged.

Entering the pub, he smiled in satisfaction. The quality of people in here overall wasn't very high; the drinks would be cheap and strong. Just what he needed. And he could see a few decent looking girls in one corner.

* * *

><p>Lily slipped into Ginny's room, expecting to find the girl upset, instead seeing her hands balled into fists and a furious expression on her face. She turned to face Lily.<p>

"I can't fucking believe it," she seethed. "Who the bloody hell does he think he is, telling me what I can and can't do? It's _my _life, I should be able to decide for myself what I want to do. If he's trying to fucking protect me, well, he missed the ball on that one didn't he? I've seen more, been through more than most people ever will, and he has the _nerve _to tell _me_ what to do?"

By this stage Ginny had well and truly worked herself up and was pacing the room whilst Lily sat on the bed, letting her have her rant.

"He is _the _biggest arsehole I know, bigger than Dean fucking Thomas, the little cheating shithead. And if he presumes to think he can stop me from doing what I want he can think again. I'm going to help whether he likes it or not and there is not a fucking thing he can do about it!"

With that, Ginny seemed to have run out of words and she paced for a few seconds longer before her demeanour changed and she flung herself down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow but not sufficiently to drown out the sobs now coming from her. Lily sighed and gathered the girl up in her arms, letting her cry out out on her shoulder. She stroked Ginny's hair gently, rocking form side to side a little.

Harry really was being an idiot. Ginny didn't deserve his reaction in the slightest.

"I hate him," Ginny said between sobs when she calmed down a little.

"Right now you do," Lily agreed. "But that won't last, you know that. He'll come around eventually, even if I have to brow beat him into it. He's just trying, in his own stupid way, to protect you."

"I've lived my whole life with over protective older brothers and parents," Ginny sniffed, pulling back out of Lily's arms and drawing her knees up to her chin. "I don't need another one."

Lily nodded sympathetically. "I don't think he's being protective like a brother," she said softly. Ginny looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You'll figure it out soon, I hope," Lily told her. Ginny gave her another puzzled look before dropping it.

"Where do you think he went?" she asked.

Lily crinkled her nose in distaste. "Probably found a bar somewhere. I doubt he'll be back till morning."

"Oh," Ginny said softly, clearly not expecting that for an answer. Lily gave her a wry smile.

"How about you come stay in my room tonight? We'll send Sirius down here and have the floor to ourselves. It's been a while since I had a good old slumber party."

Ginny snorted but agreed. "Alright, why not."

* * *

><p>With more than a few drinks down, not enough to get him completely drunk (at least not yet) but enough to forget the recent events somewhat, Harry found himself sitting at a table with a very attractive girl on his lap. She had all the right sorts of female assets, and while he didn't usually go for blonde, big boobs and arse, with the frame of mind he was in, Harry didn't particularly care.<p>

He signalled the bar keeper for a refill then turned his attention back to snogging the girl, whose name he didn't know and right now didn't really care about either. She wasn't bad really, was a decent kisser and probably good in the sack too. He slid his tongue into her mouth and she responded eagerly, rolling her hips into his.

"Let's go back to mine," she whispered huskily and Harry found himself agreeing and he downed his drink in one shot, leaving some cash on the table and following the girl out the door and down the street, both of them slightly unsteady on their feet. They were both laughing at something when she pushed open a door. As soon as it closed behind them, Harry was kissing her again, pushing her up against the wall just a little roughly and quickly divesting them both of their clothes.

* * *

><p>Harry shut the garage door as quietly as he could, wincing a little at the pounding in his head. There wasn't a charm in the world that did a proper job of getting rid of a hangover, and the night before, between bouts of sex he was pretty sure he'd had at least one more bottle of muggle whiskey, if not more. Tiptoeing down the hall, he wondered if he'd be lucky enough to be able to grab a hangover potion from the cupboard over the sink and sneak upstairs to his room without being discovered.<p>

He looked around furtively but no one seemed to be around and he moved quickly into the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboard for the potion he was sure should be there but didn't seem to be. Growling in annoyance he shut the cupboard door, turning around and jumping in surprise when he saw Lily leaning against the bench.

"You won't find any potions," she told him and he stared at her, his brain trying to figure out what she meant. She rolled her eyes and elaborated. "I got rid of them. And I'm not making more for you. You can suffer through the day."

"Mum-" he began.

"No, Harry. It's no more than you deserve for being such a fucking arse to Ginny."

Harry took a step back in surprise. Lily almost never swore. He really was in deep shit.

"Do you have any idea how upset she was, is, about it? You had no right to react that way!" Her voice was slowly rising in volume and Harry grimaced as his head protested.

"I know alright!" he replied. "I know I was out of line. I just…" he trailed off, realising that there wasn't really an excuse for his actions.

"She said she hated you." Lily said.

Harry's jaw dropped. "She what? I…she was being serious?"

Lily shrugged. "To a point she was. She was really cut up about it, once she finished telling me what an arse you are."

Harry ran his hands through his hair. Ginny said she hated him…that, more than anything, brought the guilt in full force.

"I'm going to go see her," he said abruptly.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Lily told him.

"I don't care. I need to go fix this."

She sighed. "Alright. But don't expect her to be very welcoming. She's in her room. And Harry?"

He paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned back to his mother.

"Ever do that again, and I will hurt you. Understand?"

He nodded. It wasn't an empty threat and his mother could do some serious damage. After all, Healers knew how to kill better than anyone else. All they had to do was what they were told to never ever do when in training. And there were an awful lot of them.

* * *

><p>Harry knocked on Ginny's door, entering when she granted permission.<p>

"Hey," he said. She stared at him for a moment then turned her back to him and looked out the window.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"To apologise," he said softly.

"Apologise? So you'll say sorry and everything is all find and dandy again? I don't think so Harry."

"Ginny…I _am _sorry alright? I was a dickhead-"

"You don't say," she snorted.

"-and I shouldn't have reacted like I did."

"I'm so glad you realise that. Pity you didn't before you went off last night isn't it?"

"Ginny, come on. I'm trying here."

She finally turned to face him.

"So have you changed your mind?" At his raised eyebrow, she continued. "Can I help out?"

Harry hesitated.

"I see how it is," Ginny turned away from him again.

"Look-I…Ginny, have you any clue how dangerous it is? I mean, you're not trained for any of this-"

"Because that can be remedied at all."

"If they ever caught you…" Harry closed his eyes. "You wouldn't come out of there alive. What they do to their prisoners, especially the females…"

"I think _I _of all people know that Harry Potter! Or have you forgotten just how we came to know each other?"

"Which is _exactly _why it's far too dangerous! If they got you again, they know who you are. You escaped once; they wouldn't let it happen again. They'll kill you Ginny!"

She faced him again, a hard light blazing in her eyes.

"They took me before because of who I was. _Not _because I was directly involved in a war effort. Do you really think that's changed? And did you stop to consider that if I had training, training that _you _could give me; maybe they wouldn't have gotten me in the first place? Harry, I'm in danger regardless of whether I join you or not. Wouldn't you rather I be out in the field with the skills to defend myself than be stuck here miserable and bored, with no defence when I leave the house?"

Harry admitted her argument made more than a bit of sense. Certainly far more this did. But there was a part of him that still wanted to shield her from getting involved; a part of his heart that ached at the thought of her being in danger.

"I can't lose you Ginny," he said softly.

"You won't," she replied. "Please Harry. Let me help."

He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing she'd won. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Fine," he whispered.

"Thankyou." Her voice sounded suspiciously wobbly and Harry opened his eyes to see a suspicious glimmer in hers.

"Come here," he said quietly, opening his arms. She folded into them and he pulled her close, resting his cheek on her head, breathing in her flowery scent. They stayed like that for a long time, clutching each other tightly. Lily found them some time later when she went looking for them. She smiled and retreated, letting them be.

* * *

><p>Yikes, another chapter! Once I get going, I just keep rolling stuff out!<p>

So Ginny is going to help out, which means we'll get to see more of what Harry actually does, and there'll be alot more action. Exciting stuff!


	17. Beginning

_Things are looking up, oh finally_

_I thought I'd never see the day, when you smile at me  
><em>

_We always pull through, oh when we try  
><em>

_I'm always wrong but, you're never right  
><em>

**Chapter 16: Beginning**

* * *

><p>Ginny groaned as someone knocked loudly on her door. She cracked her eyes open to glance at the clock and groaned again when she was it wasn't even 6am yet.<p>

"Go away!" she yelled. To her annoyance, the handle turned inside and Harry stepped inside.

"Good, you're awake!" he said. Ginny glared at him.

"I am now, thanks to a certain someone. Why the bloody hell are you waking me up at this ungodly hour?"

Harry grinned at her. "No point in wasting half the day. I thought you wanted to start training?" He arched his eyebrow, his grin turning into a smirk.

"Not at the fricken crack of dawn!" Ginny shot back.

Harry shrugged. "Wear something comfortable and easy to move in. Oh…and bring a change of clothes too." With that, he exited her room again and Ginny buried her head in her pillow, sighing in frustration when she realised she was never going to get back to sleep. She was sure this was Harry's way of getting back at her for insisting he train her. If he couldn't be an arse by stopping her, he was going to be an arse this way instead.

Throwing the covers back, she swung her legs off the bed and shuffled over to the wardrobe, digging out a tank top and a pair of leggings and donning a hoodie over the top. Winter might be well and truly gone, but there was still a definite chill in the air. Grabbing an extra top and pants as Harry had told her, she thumped down the stairs, giving Harry another death stare in the kitchen when he handed her a full plate.

Breakfast over and done with, Harry led her to the pantry and through the hidden door.

"I'll give you the grand tour first, then we'll get on with it," he said.

"I've already seen everything down there," Ginny reminded him, surprised when he shook his head.

"You missed the library and the bathroom. And everything on the levels below."

"Levels below?"

"You'll see."

The library had books from floor to ceiling everywhere. Ginny would have bet the books contained just as much useful information as the entire Hogwart's library. Half of what was in there was crap. But she doubted Harry and Lily would have useless books down here.

After a quick reminder of where things were in the basement, Harry showed her to another door leading to another set of steps. At the bottom he flicked a light switch and Ginny looked down the corridor to see a kitchen and some couches in a room at the end, and another hallway branching off partway down. Harry took her down the hallway first. The rooms on both sides were identical. Three rooms were for sleeping, containing two double bunks each. The final room on each side was a bathroom.

Ginny turned to Harry. "What is all this for?"

"In case…" he replied. "Its…well, if we needed to, we could evacuate the main house to down here. No one would get in very easily, and it's got everything we'd need. We could barricade ourselves here for years if necessary. Or house refugees. We've never needed it yet, but we always keep it prepared."

"Oh," Ginny said softly. It was things like that, which brought home the reality of the war. She followed Harry back to the main corridor and down to the room she'd seen earlier, where there was indeed a full kitchen and a multitude of couches plus a small computer station in one corner. Another hall led off one end, splitting into two again. On the left, Harry pointed out more bedrooms.

"How many people can you sleep down here anyway?" Ginny asked.

"There are 40 beds. But we can fit more in if need be. It would be a tight squeeze, but at full capacity it would be more like 60, possibly a little more."

Ginny stared at him, a little lost for words. He shrugged at her, and then showed her the final room. This was full of cabinets and computer gear. Screens were everywhere and Ginny knew most of the storage would be for weapons.

"The system down here is separate to upstairs," Harry told her. "We can link between them, but if the upper levels were compromised, we could still function fully here."

"Almost no wizard would have the ability to do that though," Ginny said, wondering just why all this extra security was needed.

"No," Harry agreed. "But a muggle could. Any of the intelligence agencies around the world, terrorists, they could do it. This isn't just for the wizarding conflicts…we're heavily involved enough in the muggle world that it could come to war between us, if future leaders decide we're a threat."

Ginny hadn't considered that, but realised it made sense. There may be cooperation now, but there was also undoubtedly fear of what wizards could do. And one day that fear might turn into actions.

"There are tunnels further down. They're for escape routes in the worst-case scenario. I'll show them to you some other time, for now we'd best be getting started."

Ginny nodded and followed Harry back to the basement. To her surprise, he led her into the room with all the muggle fitness machines and brought her to two identical ones with a long platform like thing.

"This is a treadmill," he explained. "It's for running. A bit easier than outside, and of course it isn't affected by inclement weather."

"Running? I thought…"

"You can be the best duelist in the world, or the best marksman with a gun, but if you're unfit, you will be at a disadvantage."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. She'd never really like to run. She much preferred flying. But it had been hard enough to get Harry to agree to all of this as it was, so she decided it was best just to go along. After all, he knew what worked best.

"Alright, how does it work?"

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Ginny hit the stop button on the treadmill and leant on the side, gulping in air. She was surprised at how long she'd lasted, but she simply couldn't run another step. She glanced sideways at Harry who was running easily, his breathing deep and even and not the slightest hint of a sweat anywhere. He ran for a few minutes longer, giving Ginny time to catch her breath before he stopped his machine as well.<p>

"Run a little longer every day and you'll soon be able to keep up," he told her and Ginny groaned a little, but realised he was probably right. He motioned for her to follow and they walked to the large, empty room. Standing on opposite sides, Ginny waited for Harry to explain what they were doing. Suddenly, a jet of light streamed directly towards her and she barely had time to jump out of the way, letting out a slight yelp as she did so.

"What the hell-" she didn't get a chance to finish before Harry sent more spells her way and she was forced to dodge again.

"Harry!" she yelled.

"A Death Eater won't wait till you good and ready, neither will I," he replied, leaning casually against the wall and sending a stunner at her. Ginny glared in reply, this time managing to raise a shield before the spell hit her. Dodging a few more from Harry, she was finally able to retaliate with one of her own.

"Stupefy!" she yelled and Harry rolled his eyes, stepping to the side easily.

"Don't tell me what you're going to do," he shot and demonstrated with another nonverbal spell. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him and tried again, this time managing it without speaking.

The exchange of spells continued, Ginny forced to more extravagant acrobatic feats to avoid them and Harry showing no sign of strain, easily avoiding everything she sent at him, only raising a shield once.

"I can tell what you're going to do before you actually do it. Improvise. Surprise me." Harry allowed her a brief respite before sending more jinxes her way.

Frustrated, Ginny sent another stunner at him, following it up almost immediately with a stream of fire from her left hand. Harry stepped right into its path when he avoided the stunner and his eyes widened momentarily before he dove to one side, narrowly missing the flames.

"That's better," he gave her a grin. "Again."

* * *

><p>Ginny collapsed against the wall, letting her wand clatter to the floor. Never in her life had she duelled like that. Nothing she'd been taught or shown at school was anything like it. Harry had completely kicked her arse.<p>

"You did well," he commented, sliding down the wall to sit next to her. Ginny was gratified a little to see the sweat running down his face and soaking through his shirt. At least he'd had to work as well. They sat for a minute or two in silence when Sirius came through the open door.

He took one look at Ginny and smirked, earning himself a glare in return, then he turned his attention to Harry, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We've got to go. There's some Death Eaters causing havoc with the muggles."

Harry got to his feet and Ginny followed suit. Not five minutes later, Harry Lily and Sirius were kitted out ready to leave. Ginny had wanted to go, but saw reason when Harry told her that one morning of training didn't equip her for these situations.

"Be careful, alright?" she told him, giving him a swift hug.

He grinned back at her. "I'm always careful." Ginny snorted in reply, then the three of them apparated, leaving her to wait.

* * *

><p>Ginny shot out of bed, fumbling for the light switch and glancing at the clock that read 12:34. She was sure she'd been woken by a noise downstairs. Tugging on a dressing gown, she exited her room to find the three slowly coming up the stairs, Sirius supported between Lily and Harry.<p>

"What the bloody hell happened?" she asked.

The heads of all three turned, registering her presences as they reached the top of the stairs.

"There were more of them than we expected," Lily explained. "Sirius had been hit pretty bad. He'll be fine, but I need to heal him properly after the rush job I had to do out there."

They continued on up the next flight of stairs and Ginny waited patiently for Harry to return, which he did in a few minutes.

"How is he?" Ginny asked.

"Alright. He lost a fair bit of blood, but he's not critical."

Ginny nodded, relieved. She followed Harry down to his room, gasping when he peeled his jacket off.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. There were patches of blood soaking through his shirt, the fabric torn in multiple places.

He glanced at her, then back down at himself and shrugged. "Its nothing," he tried to reassure her but Ginny wasn't buying it. Especially when he winced sitting down on the bed.

"That's not nothing," she told him. "Does Lily know?"

Harry avoided her gaze and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Grabbing his hand, she tugged him down the hall to the bathroom.

"Sit." Ginny pointed at the stool and Harry obeyed, tired enough not to bother arguing. She motioned for him to remove his shirt and he complied, emitting a soft groan, as he had to stretch his arms above shoulder height. Ginny sucked in a breath as she saw two gashes across his back and the signs of bruising already beginning to form. She grabbed a washcloth and wet it, then set about gently cleaning the blood away, thinking how ironic it was that just a couple of months ago Harry had done the same for her.

"Fuck," Harry hissed when she applied some dittany, the liquid soaking into the wounds and obviously stinging as it began to work.

"Sorry," Ginny said softly.

"S'ok," he replied. Her eyes met his in the mirror and they locked gazes for a moment. Harry's eyes were full of intensity, and something else that she couldn't place and Ginny felt a little overwhelmed. Quickly she looked away, her gaze falling to his neck and the leather thong knotted there. She took it, pulling it around to find the pendant dangling at the end of it.

"What's this?" she asked, raising her eyes again to find him still looking at her with that odd expression on his face.

"It…belonged to my dad. Mum gave it to me when I was a kid."

Ginny's gaze flickered down to the tattoo on his shoulder before dropping the pendant.

"You'll be alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Harry replied, turning to face her and giving a small smile. Ginny nodded, hesitated for a moment and then walked out of the bathroom, leaving Harry feeling just as confused as she was.

* * *

><p>There we go!<p>

In response to the last chapter, yes, Harry was a complete dickhead. He was meant to be xD. I had one reviewer ask what would have happened if Ginny had done what Harry did (alcohol and sex) and my answer to that is, well, it just wouldn't have happened. Not at this point in the story at any rate. The memories of what happened when she was a prisoner are still way too fresh for her to even contemplate having sex with someone she loved, let alone a complete stranger. But, if it had happened, well, Harry would have been a whole lot more pissed at her, she probably would have been disgusted with herself and there would likely have been a bigger wedge driven between them.

The next chapter will have at least some Harry POV, and then I'm going to do a bit of a time jump I think, with a few flashbacks. It'll be to speed the process up. I don't feel like writing numerous chapter detailing Ginny's training when it can be summed up in one with the flashbacks to important bits.


	18. Realise

_Rebirthing now, I wanna live for life wanna live for you and me_

_Breathe for the first time now, I come alive somehow  
><em>

_Rebirthing now, I wanna live my life wanna give you everything  
><em>

_Breathe for the first time now, I come alive somehow  
><em>

**Chapter 17: Realise**

* * *

><p>Harry lay on his side, staring across his room at the wall opposite. Sleep just wouldn't come his brain was too busy buzzing. That in itself wasn't unusual, except this time…this time it was buzzing with thoughts of one person in a particular. A person with red hair, deep, chocolate eyes staring at him, the black eyeliner she'd taken to wearing making the colour pop…<p>

Harry groaned out loud. He just couldn't stop thinking of her. It was getting worse too. All his brain would focus on was Ginny bloody Weasley. Not that there was anything wrong with her, no quite the opposite in fact, but it was dreadfully distracting. To add to his discomfort, his body was on occasion responding in a not very polite manner when she was close to him. There had been a couple of close calls where he'd had to dash off before she noticed. But he hadn't allowed himself to relieve any of the tension. Any other girl, it wouldn't be a problem. But Ginny…the thought disturbed him. It would feel dirty and he knew he couldn't possibly do it.

There he went again. Thinking of her. In the last month, she'd shown just how strong she was, both in character and magic. They'd spent four weeks training, but you'd think it was more like four months, four years even. She'd picked everything up so quickly. A competitive streak had emerged and she was determined to best him. Which in turn made him determined to best her. He did win more often than not, but just lately she'd been surprising him. Like the other day…

* * *

><p><em>The pair were a blur of movement, ducking and weaving. Harry had insisted that she learn hand-to-hand combat and Ginny had readily agreed. He'd discovered that she had a twisted sense of humour and found giving him a punch quite entertaining. At first he'd softened any of blows, deliberately missing her and when that was unavoidable, pulling back at the last second so he didn't hurt her. Walloping her with a wand was one thing, but his hands were another. That hadn't lasted too long; she eventually goaded him into fighting properly.<em>

_Harry spun around, ducking a well-aimed punch and grabbing her waist from behind, pulling her flush against him, the other arm across her throat._

"_Gotcha," he whispered, smirking down at her. Ginny glared in response and hooked her leg behind his knee, pulling the leg up sharply and bending forwards, flipping Harry over his back and evicting herself from the chokehold. Harry sprang to his feet, grinning at her. They circled for a moment, and then Harry went in for the kill. Ginny ducked and rolled, completing her somersault and swinging her legs in a wide arc catching Harry's calves._

_He toppled to the floor and Ginny pounced, settling her weight on top of him and securing his wrists above his head. She was so close to him, their faces inches away. With an effort-Ginny had figured out how to spread her weight just so to make it harder for him-Harry flipped them over, reversing their positions. Ginny took the opportunity to knee him between the legs and Harry groaned, giving her the space she needed to wiggle out from underneath him._

_They continued for some time, the fight more like a dance between them, both moving fluidly around each other until finally Harry had Ginny trapped against the wall in the corner. He stared down at her, breathing heavily. Slowly, he backed away, a wordless consent that the game was over, a tie._

* * *

><p>Harry stifled a slight moan at the memory. She'd been <em>so <em>close to him at times, her body pressing into his in all the right ways, right _there…_

He closed his eyes in an attempt to forget but all that did was bring back the night they'd come back with Sirius in a bad condition and Ginny had insisted on cleaning him up. The feeling of her hands on his skin and her gentle ministrations had been unbelievable and as far as he was concerned it had ended all too soon. Things had been a little off kilter between them for a while after his angry outburst the night she had asked to join their operation, but they had slowly gone back to normal. But it was still different…there were constantly little moments where they would lock eyes and time seemed to stand still. Then one of them would look away and the moment would be broken, and things would be a bit awkward.

Then there were the times where he was showing her something and her genuine appreciation and elation when she got it right made him feel like he was floating on cloud nine. The smiles she would give him…

* * *

><p><em>Ginny held the gun in both hands. This was the second time she'd used one and simple as it looked, her shots were still way off the target. She focused on the bullseye and squeezed the trigger, growling a little as the bullet embedded itself in the wall next to the target. She gave Harry a frustrated look.<em>

"_Watch," he told her and took his own gun, pointing it at the target and shooting. A perfect shot, right in the centre of the bullseyes. "Try again."_

_Ginny did, and this time managed to hit the outer edges of the target. She was holding too tightly and the gun was jerking when she pressed the trigger. He shook his head with a slight smile and Ginny glared at him._

"_Here," he said, moving to stand behind her. He reached his arms around her, covering her hands with his. "Just relax," he said softly and felt the tension leave her hands and shoulders as she took a breath. He waited until he was sure she was fully relaxed and squeezed the trigger down, applying a small amount of pressure onto her fingers. The bullet flew straight and true, hitting the inner ring around the centre._

"_There," Harry said quietly and stepped back. Ginny turned to him and gave him a genuine smile that sent a warm fuzzy feeling out from his heart. He returned it and she turned back to her practice. Her shooting improved quickly and Harry remained in the background, letting her figure it out, occasionally offering advice or softly adjusting the way she held the weapon,_

* * *

><p><em>Ginny had gotten the hang of driving and Harry urged her to press the accelerator to the floor. After a slight hesitation, she complied and sent the car zooming down the road. The wind blew into their faces pushing their hair back and whipping it around. Ginny's flew about her face, a fiery halo of sorts. It was a gorgeous sunny day, summer was just around the corner; the sky was a perfect shade of blue and the sun shining. Ginny's face broke into a wide smile as she realised she was in full control of the vehicle and she went a little faster, emitting a tiny squeal every now and then as they slid around a corner. <em>

* * *

><p>"<em>You've got to be kidding me," Ginny said, staring at him incredulously. He wanted to teach her to ride the motorbikes. It had taken him ages to convince her to ride on one behind him and it didn't look like it'd be any easier this time around. She seemed to think it was dangerous. Coming from a girl who would happily sit of a piece of wood with a few twigs on the end hundreds of feet in the air, Harry thought it was a bit silly of her.<em>

"_C'mon Gin," he wheedled. "You'll enjoy it I promise. I know you had fun when I took you for a ride." She just glared at him and shook her head. "Look, I'll sit behind you and take over if you run into any issues. Besides, we've got these things charmed up to their eyeballs. Not that they've got eyeballs. But you get my meaning. Please?"_

_Ginny sighed and Harry grinned, knowing he'd won._

"_Fine."_

_Ginny settled herself into the seat of the black one Harry told her to take. He slid on behind her, kicking the stand up and balancing the bike with his feet instead. Ginny grabbed the handlebars and Harry leant forward a little, pressing his chest against her back. He put his hands over hers and she turned to give him a quizzical look._

"_Just till you figure it out." She nodded her thanks and started the engine. Carefully, she drove out of the garage and down the driveway at a speed that Harry really considered to be crawling. He kept his mouth shut though. She'd go faster when she was ready. _

_Soon they were driving down the road at a reasonable speed, Harry still holding the handlebars with her. They steered around the corner and Ginny seemed to lose whatever fears she'd had and picked up the speed and they began to fly along._

"_Let go," she told Harry and he removed his hands, wrapping his arms instead around her waist. She started a little in surprise but quickly recovered herself. _

_When they returned home a few hours later, Ginny turned to him and grinned. _

"_Thanks Harry. That was…fun."_

"_I'm glad you liked it," he replied. "Go on your own next time, yeah?"_

"_Yeah," she said and flashed him another of her brilliant smiles that Harry just couldn't help returning._

* * *

><p>Harry was lying on his back now, puffing his cheeks out when he exhaled. Ginny was just so…well, <em>Ginny. <em>Not perfect, no one was perfect, but if anyone were close to it, it would be Ginny. He knew what she'd say if he told her that. She'd tell him she was nothing close to perfect and go on to point out each of her faults. He knew she still thought of herself as scarred, mentally and physically. And at some level, she probably considered herself to be tainted in a way.

She amazed him every day. The way she'd conquered her torture. When they'd brought her in, all three of them had thought it would be a long hard road to recovery for her. That wasn't to say it hadn't been. No, it _was _a long hard road. But Ginny had pushed past it all, refusing to dwell on the past. She still had nightmares, of that he was certain. And there were times when it was clear that she was struggling with some inner demon or memory. In those times he just offered silent support, a shoulder to cry on if need be. They'd spent several late nights in front of the fire, Ginny drawing comfort from the element, eventually falling asleep at which point Harry would carry her to her room.

Harry realised with a jolt that he couldn't imagine life without her, what it would be like if he hadn't met her. He was infinitely grateful that she had come into his life, and he knew he wanted her around for the rest of his life, however long or short that may be. Friends come and go, but Ginny was just a friend. She was Ginny and he…

"Fuck."

He fancied her. That was the explanation to all of this. He, Harry Potter, bloody fancied Ginny Weasley. The signs should have been obvious. The way she made him feel, the sly glances Lily and Sirius kept shooting at the two of him, the occasional cryptic remarks. And for all that, it had still taken him this long to realise it. Of course, he'd always known there was a physical attraction, but this was so much more than that.

But did Ginny feel the same way? Harry had no idea. There were times when just maybe she was showing that she did like him the same way, but really, if he hadn't been able to interpret his own feelings, no way could he figure out hers. Either way, Harry knew he'd do anything for her, be anything for her. Even if she didn't return his affections, he'd stick by her as her friend, however much it might hurt to see her with someone else. Because that's what friends did.

Harry rolled over, suddenly feeling very sleepy, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His lips curved into a smile as he drifted off, his dreams filled with brilliant smile and flashes of red and chocolate.

* * *

><p>Woohoo, so Harry's finally figured it out! And that was all a bit fluffy...more so than I'd intended. But ah well.<p>

Next chapter should have a bit of action in it, and a bit of emotional stuff.


	19. First

_Tell me would you kill_

_To save a life  
><em>

_Tell me would you kill  
><em>

_To prove you're right  
><em>

**Chapter 18: First**

* * *

><p>"Alright, what's going on?" Harry strode into the basement office to find Sirius, Lily and Ginny clustered around the screens.<p>

"We've got a group of Death Eaters in an abandoned industrial park 20 miles out of Bristol." Lily replied. "Security cameras are still working in the area."

Harry looked at the screens. The feeds from four of five different cameras were showing, the cloaked figures moving around. "Have we got any identity matches?"

"Not as yet. We think they're all either new recruits or low level Death Eaters who aren't on our radar yet."

Sirius hit a few keys and brought up a map of the buildings. "They seem to be situated in here," he pointed to two large buildings next to each other. The command centre, so far as we can tell is in the one on the left."

Harry studied it for a moment and nodded. "Mum you and I'll go after the command. Sirius, you take care of the rest. Just…try not to blow the whole place up alright?"

Sirius gave a mock pout and grinned. "Sure boss," he said.

"And what about me?" Ginny asked, clearly miffed that she wasn't being included.

Harry sighed. "Ginny-" he began.

"Don't 'Ginny' me Harry Potter!" she cut him off. "You're not leaving me behind again like the last…four? Five times? I'm coming with you."

"You've got no experience in the field-" Harry tried again.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "And how am I meant to _get _experience if you don't let me in to the field!"

"But-"

"Shut. Up."

Harry sent a glare at Lily and Sirius, both clearly trying (unsuccessfully) to keep straight faces.

"We've been through this before Harry. I'm not staying behind this time."

Harry blew out an annoyed breath. She wasn't letting him get a word in edgeways and the most annoying bit was that she was right. But he just couldn't help wanting to keep her safe. Not-not when she was so damn important to him.

"Harry, let her come," Lily said gently. He sighed. They were going to be the death of him.

"Fine then. Change of plans. Mum goes with Sirius, Ginny you're with me."

Ginny nodded, shooting Lily a grateful look. The older woman smiled in return and then age Harry a very meaningful look that he acknowledged with an inclination of his head. He wasn't to keep trying to baby Ginny.

"We're out of here in ten minutes."

* * *

><p>Ginny took a deep breath when they apparated outside of the park. They couldn't risk trying to apparate inside the fence in case of wards. Not that the wards presented a problem for the actual apparition. But they would register their entrance and set off alarms if they did it by magical means. At least, that was Harry's theory. He'd told her the Death Eaters didn't generally ward against muggle methods, simply because they assumed it wouldn't be an issue. Their first mistake.<p>

The fence was just a wire chain link, easy enough to climb but likely noisy. They wanted to get in without being detected.

Harry was assessing the situation and content to let him figure it out this time round, Ginny double-checked she had everything. Wand, gun and spare ammunition. An emergency portkey in case things went to shit. Her phone, already set to be in contact with the other three at all times. Earpiece secured in her ear.

"Ok, we're going to cut our way through," Harry said, motioning to a section of fence.

"With what?" Ginny replied. Wire cutters would be far too noisy and wands were out of the question. Harry held up a small round tool.

"Laser cutter," he informed her with a grin. Ginny rolled her eyes. Boys and their toys. She knew for a fact Sirius had an arsenal of things on him and she was betting Harry did too.

Harry reached a hand up to his earpiece. "Padfoot and Prongs, do you copy?" he asked softly.

They each had codenames for out in the field to keep their identities secret. Sirius was Padfoot, his old school nickname. Lily was Prongs, in memory of her dead husband and Harry was Pup, Sirius' name for him since he was a baby. They'd given Ginny Phoenix, in reference to her ability with fire.

"Copy," the reply came in Ginny's ear.

Satisfied that communications were working, Harry turned his attention to the fence. The laser cutter made short, silent work of the wire and in the space of a minute they were through. They stood on the inside of the fence cautiously, but when no alarms went off Harry relaxed a little. Ginny scanned the park, locating the building they were taking care of. It wasn't far, just a few to their left and the back had no windows, so they should be able to approach unseen.

"We're in," Harry whispered for Lily and Sirius' benefit. He signalled Ginny to follow him and they slid into the shadows of the nearest shed, Ginny's eyes flicking to the ground every now and then to make sure her boots weren't stepping on any loud substances. They reached their intended structure unnoticed and immediately began looking for the nearest and best way in.

Ginny sidled down the sidewall to the nearest window. It was covered in grime, both a blessing and a curse. Anyone inside would have difficulty seeing someone outside, but she couldn't see a lot inside either. In any case, when she peered in, careful to keep herself almost entirely out of sight. It was fairly dark inside, but she could see the distinct movement of people. She backed away and returned to Harry.

"They're in there. How do you want to do this?"

Harry grinned at her. "Might as well make an entrance." He moved up the wall and attached several small circular objects with little blue flashing lights in a roughly door sized shape. He pulled Ginny back a few metres and pressed a button on his phone. The objects detonated and the wall blew in. Quickly, Harry flicked his wand to clear the air of dust; after all, hiding magic now was pretty pointless.

Ginny dove to the side, avoiding several curses that flew out of the building. Harry rolled next to her.

"Apparate in," he told her. "Just on the other side of the wall. We'll never get in otherwise." She nodded, and with a soft pop they both disappeared, reappearing inside the building. Immediately, Ginny fired back at the Death Eaters, getting in a few shots before they realised she was there. Harry was somewhere on the other side of the opening he'd blown in the wall but she had no time to focus on him.

Raising a shield, she sent a stunner at the leader of the four currently running at her and he fell to the ground with a surprised look on his face. Moments later her shield disintegrated under a barrage of spells and she was forced to duck and roll again. Springing to her feet, she sent a jet of fire at them from her left hand and a reducto from her wand. Distracted by the flames, the wizards didn't see the curse coming. Four down.

By pure instinct, Ginny hurled herself to the ground, a flash of green flying past her ear. Yanking her gun out of the holster on her thigh, she fired two shots and her attacker collapsed, gun wounds in his thigh and stomach. Her heart pounding at her near miss, she jumped to her feet again, and noticed Harry duelling several wizards out of the corner of her eye. She set one on fire, registered the nod Harry gave her and spun around, her knee coming up to connect with a wizard's groin. She brought her elbow up to smash into his nose, followed up with a fist to the jaw. His eyes rolled back in his head as he slumped over.

Ginny ducked a few more curses, sending her own back and grinning to herself when her opponents fell. Suddenly, something collided with her and she hit the ground, a Death Eater rolling off her. He recovered first and knocked Ginny's wand out of her hand. She cursed, rolling out of his way before he could grab her, a line of fire streaking from her open hand, quickly consuming the man.

Her eyes found Harry again and as if in slow motion, she saw him fighting the last Death Eater standing. Saw him blasted back into the wall and hit his head, falling unconscious to the ground. Saw the Death Eater's twisted grin as he raised his wand, the tip beginning to glow green. Her hand trembling, Ginny raised her gun, put a finger to the trigger and squeezed.

The shot rang out, echoing loudly in the otherwise silent building. The wizard crumpled, a hole through his head. Ginny dropped the gun to the ground, stumbling backwards until she hit the wall, still staring at the man she'd just killed. How long she stayed there, she had no idea. Vaguely she registered the sounds of Lily and Sirius talking at her through the earpiece, but her eyes were fixed on the fallen wizard and the growing pool of blood around his head.

* * *

><p>Lily and Sirius rushed into the building. They'd taken care of their group with little trouble and after no contact from Harry and Ginny, had opted, with growing apprehension to enter the other building. The sight that greeted them was not quite what was expected. The floor was littered with bodies, most dead or nearly dead. Lily searched frantically for her son and figurative daughter, spying Ginny against the wall. Her heart dropped when she found a familiar, messy head of hair lying on the other side.<p>

"Harry!" she cried, sprinting over, closely followed by Sirius. She dropped to her knees, feeling frantically for a pulse and nearly crying with relief when she felt it. "Thank god," she choked out, the terror that had been gripping her heart easing a little. She drew in a deep breath to calm herself, trying to banish the images that rose in her mind of Harry's pale, lifeless face, lying dead in a pool of blood. She hugged Harry to her, raising her head to take in Ginny.

"What happened?" Lily asked. Ginny didn't reply, still staring numbly at the body.

"Shit," Sirius muttered. He moved over to the girl. "Ginny?" he said softly, taking in her trembling body. She turned her gaze to him and he cursed again under his breath.

"We need to get them out of here," he said abruptly and Lily nodded. Making sure they had all their wands and guns, they apparated out, leaving the carnage behind.


	20. Moment

_Hey, slow it down_

_Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me?  
><em>

_Yeah, I'm afraid  
><em>

_Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me?  
><em>

**Chapter 19: Moment**

* * *

><p>Harry sat on the couch, resting his forearms on his knees and staring at his clasped hands. It was a shock, a big shock, to have almost died. He'd had close shaves before, but this time, had it not been for Ginny, he wouldn't be here right now. They'd arrived back home several hours ago and he'd woken up an hour later. Lily had tried to make him stay in bed but he had been too restless and made his way downstairs to the living room.<p>

He inhaled and exhaled slowly, attempting to gain some measure of control over himself again. He'd seen it coming, the spell that had blasted him into the wall. Known he wouldn't avoid it. The feeling of flying through the air, a blinding pain and then nothing until he woke in his bed. He didn't know where Ginny was. He'd not seen her and his mother hadn't told him anything.

The couch sank down next to him and he glanced to his right to find Sirius had joined him. The older man didn't say anything. Instead he sat there, offering wordless support, something Harry appreciated. Silence reigned for a while longer, each contemplating the day's events. As far as Harry was concerned, the only good thing that had come from it was that they'd eliminated a good amount of Death Eaters.

"Ginny?" he asked, finally breaking the quiet.

Sirius shrugged. "Lily's up their with her. She wouldn't let me in. But Harry…she wasn't in good shape back there."

Harry's head snapped up. Bad shape? She couldn't be…

"She's hurt?" His heart was pounding now. He couldn't bear it if Ginny was hurt because he'd allowed her to go. He should have made her stay. He should have…

"Not physically."

Harry felt some measure of relief, but quickly realised there was more to it than that. "Then what…?"

His godfather shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think she's spoken since we got back."

Harry closed his eyes, tilting his head up. This was all his fault. Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder, rightly guessing what he was thinking.

"Harry, it's not your fault-"

"Don't, Sirius. Please. Just don't" Harry turned his eyes on the older man, trying to convey his message. Sirius sighed but nodded. Harry dropped his head, burying it in his hands then running them through his hair and eventually returning to his original position.

"Harry?"

He jerked his head up and around to look at his mother, standing at the base of the stairs.

"You should be in bed," she chided him gently. He shrugged and she sighed.

"How is she?" Sirius asked softly. Lily hesitated, glancing at Harry and biting her lip before shaking her head. Harry felt his heart plummet and breathing was suddenly difficult. He stood up abruptly and made for the stairs, slipping past his mother.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked, even thought she already knew the answer.

"I need to see her," Harry replied. "I…" his voice broke slightly and he shook his head, continuing on his way, not waiting for any protests or advice.

Lily watched him go.

"I think he's finally figured it out," Sirius commented. Lily joined him on the couch and nodded tiredly.

* * *

><p>Harry pushed open Ginny's door, entering her room. His heart broke a little more when he saw her curled up on the bed facing the wall. Closing the door, he sat in the armchair.<p>

"Hey Gin," he said. "I-thank you. For saving my life. I guess that makes us even…" he trailed off. "I-" he tried again.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. Ginny still lay unmoving, showing no signs she'd heard him, or was listening. Harry swallowed, forcing back down the lump that was in his throat. He stood and had his hand on the doorknob was Ginny spoke.

"How do you do it?" she asked, her voice croaky. He turned around, noting the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Do what?" he replied, making his way back to the chair.

"Kill people. How-how do you…"

So that's what this was about. He should have guessed. Remembered.

"I don't know Gin," he said honestly. "I guess…I have to remember that they've killed people. Innocent people who didn't deserve to die. They're murderers, traitors."

Ginny gave a short, bitter laugh. "And that's supposed to make it better? They're still people Harry."

"No. They're not. People…_people _don't kill for fun, because they can. _People _don't torture others who've done nothing wrong just for entertainment."

Ginny was silent and just shook her head.

"Ginny," he said softly. "You killed several wizards in there without a problem. I don't understand."

She sniffed and looked away. "They were trying to kill me. It was self defence."

"And the last one was trying to kill me. How is that any different?"

"It just is," her voice broke on the last syllable.

"If you hadn't killed him, I wouldn't be here right now. You did save my life Ginny. You made a choice on whose life was more important to you. You can't take that back. But you can push past it. And if you want out, I won't force you to stay, to go on any more jobs-"

"No." Her voice was stronger now. "No. You're right. I want to fight. For my family."

"That's my girl," Harry said softly, giving her a small smile. She attempted to return it. He took her hand and squeezed it. "Get some rest."

* * *

><p>Ginny made her way quietly downstairs. It was well after midnight but she couldn't sleep. Harry's talk had helped a lot but she still couldn't relax and rest. Her body was still on edge, humming with adrenaline.<p>

Opening the fridge, she saw a plate of leftovers, presumably the dinner she'd missed. Grabbing it, she reheated it with a quick charm and sat down at the table. Halfway through her meal, she jumped as Harry appeared around the corner, clad only in his usual bedtime garb of a pair of boxers. She flushed a little when she realised she was sort of staring at his chest and cleared her throat.

This time it was his turn to jump, having not noticed her.

"Ginny!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect anyone else to be up…"

"Couldn't sleep," she shrugged, suddenly aware of her own minimal attire, just a black tank top and a pair of pyjama shorts. Her cheeks heated a little again ad she looked back down at her plate. "And I was hungry."

"You're alright?" Harry asked softly, giving her an intense look of concern and _something _else.

"Yeah."

"Good." He opened the pantry and grabbed a few biscuits and came to sit next to her. They ate in silence until Harry finished his biscuits, at which point he stole Ginny's fork, grabbing a mouthful off her plate and popping it in his mouth.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "That's mine! Get your own."

He grinned at her. "And why would I do that when I can just steal yours?" he asked. Ginny glared at him, yanking her fork back. He shrugged and stood up, going to the kitchen and grabbing a fork of his own, returning to his seat. He stuck the fork into Ginny's food for another bite.

"Piss off," she grumped at him. Harry shrugged.

"Ok," he replied, taking the half full plate and standing up.

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. He had some nerve! She pushed her chair back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Give it back," she demanded.

"No," Harry countered, smirking at her. "If you want it, come and get it."

Ginny's mouth dropped open then she lunged ta him, growling in annoyance when he danced out the way, that goddamn smirk still on his face. She reached for it again and he darted around the table. Soon they were chasing each other around the chairs. It was a miracle nothing fell off the plate.

Finally, Ginny stopped. "Fine," she panted. "I give up. You have it."

"Aww, you're no fun," Harry replied, sitting back down at the table. As he was about to start eating, Ginny reached over and pulled the plate away, scooping it up and poking her tongue out at him.

"Ha!" she said. The chase was on again, this time a few bits of food falling to the floor when Ginny started giggling and couldn't hold it still anymore.

"Alright, alright!" she laughed, leaning against the counter and hiding the plate behind her back. "We can share!"

"Nuh-uh," Harry replied, standing close to her, his chest almost touching hers to reach around and pry her hands away from the plate. He glanced down at her and their eyes locked. Slowly, the smile slipped off Harry's face as he stared down at her and Ginny swore his eyes were darkening. Her breath was coming faster as he leaned closer, excruciatingly slowly.

"Ginny," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers and then he was kissing her, gently but insistently, his lips warm and soft. Ginny's eyes fluttered closed as her brain began to lose coherency after getting over the initial shock. His hands left hers to settle lightly on her waist, her own snaking around his neck. She began to kiss him back, albeit a little hesitantly, the half eaten plate long forgotten.

They kissed for what seemed like both and eternity and a mere second before Harry pulled back and Ginny opened her eyes again. Harry swallowed, gazing at her again before stepping back, his expression changing into a blank mask.

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly, turning on his heels and walking away and up the stairs without so much as a glance back at her.

Ginny stayed where she was, too surprised to do anything else. She raised her hand to her face, tentatively touching her lips. Harry had kissed her. She had kissed Harry. And then he left. She started, her brain finally processing the events and she dashed after Harry.

"Harry wait!" she called, catching up to him just as he entered his room. He turned to face her, suddenly looking tired and older than he was. "I…" she said.

He sighed. "Can it wait till morning? Please?"

Ginny nodded silently and Harry shut the door.

* * *

><p>Harry leaned against his door and closed his eyes, hearing Ginny's light footsteps as she walked away.<p>

"Damn it," he whispered. He'd done so well, controlling his feelings around her, never acting on them, not wishing to hurt or scare her. And now he'd gone and bloody kissed her. And it had been brilliant.

* * *

><p>Ginny curled up under the covers, still unable to believe what had happened. Why had Harry kissed her? He didn't think of her like that, did he? No…it had to be a heat of the moment thing. And she was ok with that wasn't she? She-she didn't feel anything more than friendship towards him. She didn't think.<p>

So if she didn't have feelings for him, why did she want him to kiss her again? And the way her skin had felt like it was on fire where his hands had been on her waist. If she didn't have feelings for him…why did the thought of it only being a heat of the moment encounter make her feel so upset?

She rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling and gradually coming to the realisation that there was a very good reason for all of that. A very good reason for all the odd feelings she'd had in the last months. She liked Harry Potter. _Like _liked Harry Potter.

* * *

><p>Yay! A kiss! Finally xD. But they're not together yet...<p>

And yes, the Weasleys are going to appear but I'm afraid its going to be a little while yet...like I said, it's all planned out but there's a bit of stuff that needs to be gotten through first, as Harry and Ginny's relationship really needs to be at a certain point before she gets back to her family, for various reasons that will eventually come to light.


	21. Together

_I wanna believe, I wanna believe in love again_

_I wanna believe, I wanna believe in love again  
><em>

_Tired of living this way, tired of every day so will you help me  
><em>

_I wanna break through, I wanna believe in you  
><em>

**Chapter 20: Together**

* * *

><p>The breakfast table was unusually silent. Sirius was off doing who knew what. Lily had given up attempting to make conversation after a complete lack of response from Harry and Ginny, who were staring at their plates as they ate, occasionally sneaking a glance at each other and flushing and looking away quickly when their eyes met.<p>

Lily sighed. Ten minutes of this was really starting to grate on her nerves. Blast the two of them. One day they were talking, the next they were yelling and the next they weren't talking. And then the cycle would start over again. There were times she just wanted to bang their heads together.

"All right you two," she glared at them. "What's going on this time?"

"Nothing," they answered simultaneously, resulting in more awkward glances.

"Nothing at all," Harry reiterated.

"Fine, fine!" Lily threw her hands up in exasperation. "Have it your way. But I know something's happened, and you'd better sort it out."

This time, she saw Ginny give Harry a slightly pointed look to which he shrugged.

* * *

><p>Ginny waited for Harry in the living room, having finished her breakfast before him. Despite her realisation of the night before, her feelings were still completely muddled. Firstly, how had she fallen for him? And so quickly after, well, after everything that had happened.<p>

Her train of thought was interrupted when Harry walked in. He looked at her for a moment and ran his fingers through his hair. He sighed.

"We need to talk," he said softly. Ginny nodded. "C'mon," he took her hand and led her outside, well away from the house.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I-I shouldn't have kissed you last night."

At his words, Ginny felt her heart plummet. So it had just been the moment, not because he had any feelings for her. She bit her lip in an effort to contain herself.

"I don't want this to change anything between us," Harry said. "You're my friend Ginny, a really good friend and I don't want to lose it just because I made a mistake." He ran his hand through his hair again, messing it up even more than usual. "Look, I…god I don't know what to say. Fuck. I like you Ginny. I really like you. And-"

"Harry," Ginny tried to interrupt, her spirits suddenly lifting again. He didn't mean…did he?"

"No, Ginny, please. Let me finish. Since the day we met, I've had these feelings, only I didn't realise what they were. At first I just thought it was pity, but then I got to know you. You're funny, smart, strong, not afraid to stand up to me, and you don't take shit lying down. You can kick arse in a fight and the way you've overcome everything is just incredible. Ginny…you're beautiful, inside and out-" Ginny blushed. "-and I know you don't feel the same way, but I-I had to tell you. I can't live a lie. And I don't want you to feel awkward or pressured or anything. I know I fucked things up, but I just want us to stay friends.

"That kiss last night…I…it won't happen again, I promise. And I'm sorry-"

Ginny placed a finger on his lips. "Shut up," she said. He stared at her. Ginny swallowed and gathered her courage.

"But what if…what if I wanted it to happen again?" her voice trailed off to a whisper. Harry's eyes widened slightly and he stepped closer to her. He cupped her cheek in one hand and Ginny tilted her head up a little, her breathing quickening in anticipation. Harry looked into her eyes again and then he kissed her for the second time. It was just as soft and gentle as the first and Ginny gave herself into it, kissing him back. Harry's hand slid around to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. His other arm snaked around her waist, holding her close to him.

Harry pulled his head away. "You mean that?" he asked, his voice barely audible. Ginny nodded and he returned his lips to hers. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and toyed with the hair on the back of his head. When she felt his tongue gently running along her bottom lip she opened her mouth willing, emitting a soft moan as he began exploring. She let him take the lead, unable to do much more than follow in her current state of mind. Her brain did however register that his hands stayed firmly in safe territory, for which she was more than grateful.

The kiss lasted for what felt like hours, her body on fire until Ginny finally had to breathe and she broke it reluctantly. She laid her head on Harry's shoulder.

"What does this mean?" she asked quietly.

"That's up to you," Harry said, somewhat cautiously. "But I'd like to be with you, if you'll have me."

"Ok," Ginny replied. They held each other for a few moments before Harry pulled away slightly.

"How about we go somewhere for the day, where we can talk. Just you and me. I know a nice place…"

"I'd like that," Ginny replied, her face breaking into a broad smile, quickly matched by Harry.

* * *

><p>"Oh!" Lily exclaimed in delight, looking out the back doors.<p>

"What?" Sirius asked, having emerged from the basement. Lily pointed wordlessly to two people some way from the house. They'd gone far enough away to not be heard, but were still close enough to be clearly seen.

"Took them long enough," he grumbled but the smile said otherwise.

"Sirius? You are going to leave them alone."

"Hmm? Yeah, yeah, sure."

Lily glared at him and he raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, I promise! Happy?"

Lily nodded curtly, still drilling him with that look. "They deserve to be happy."

* * *

><p>Harry tugged Ginny back into the house, flipping the finger at Sirius when he smirked at them.<p>

"We're going out," he informed his mother, then took a firmer hold on Ginny and spun on the spot.

Ginny landed on a grassy hill and took in her surroundings. They were up high, some distance from the coast. The view was spectacular, the ocean a bright blue and the coastline of Wales just visible in the distance. A lone tree was a few metres behind her, its branches offering a decent amount of shade. Harry led her under it, conjuring a picnic blanket. He sat down, patting the spot beside him.

Ginny sank to the ground, stiffening in slight surprise when Harry's arm circled her waist and tugged her closer to his side. She relaxed into him, her brain overriding her instincts.

"It's beautiful up here," she said softly. Harry smiled.

"Yeah, it is," he replied.

"Are you ok?" Ginny asked, after a few moments of silence. Harry gave her a quizzical look.

"After yesterday," she clarified. "I-I never asked how _you _were. After all, you nearly died, not me."

Harry stared out at the distant ocean. "It was…a sobering experience. Its not the first time I've had a close call, but still…its not nice to know you were seconds from death. And this time, when I came to…I couldn't bear the thought that-that…"

"That what?" Ginny questioned softly, turning her head to look at him, gratified when he dropped his gaze to her.

"That I hadn't told you how I felt, how much you mean to me."

"Oh," Ginny couldn't think of anything else to say. His arm tightened around her a little and he dropped a kiss on her head.

"But I didn't die, I'm here, with you and everything's going to be fine. I promise."

"You've still got to face him though, don't you?" The thought of Harry facing off to Voldemort filled Ginny with fear. She _knew _what the dark wizard was capable. She'd seen it first hand more than once.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "I guess I do. When the time's right. I can't say I'm in a huge hurry to go find him."

Ginny understood. Many might say that sort of thinking was costing many innocent lives, but going up against Voldemort was essentially suicide. Harry would be going in knowing he wasn't likely to come out of it alive. Could anyone really blame him for being reluctant to speed that up? No, you couldn't.

"Harry," she said, a new thought suddenly entering her head. "What exactly are we? What is this?" she gestured between them.

"If its what you want, I guess you could say we're together now," he replied, glancing down at her again. Ginny nodded and bit her lip.

"I'd like that…" Ginny trailed off, trying to figure out just how to put what was in her head.

"But?"

"But, I…I know that people have needs and at our age a relationship is usually more serious…Harry, I can't, I can't…"

Harry seemed to understand what she was trying to say.

"Ginny, I don't care about sex. Sure, I enjoy it. But _you _are more important to me than any physical pleasure like that. And I would never ever in a million years force myself on you. You know that right?"

Ginny nodded in reply, somewhat relieved. She had worried that perhaps Harry's attraction to her was purely physical and as irrational as it seemed, a small part of her brain had believed he would pressure her into something she wasn't ready for/ She _knew _Harry wasn't like that, but her experiences as a prisoner and previous boyfriends had skewed her perception a little.

"I know," she murmured, tilting her head upwards to look at him. Harry bent his head and kissed her softly.

"I can do that though, right?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, you prat."

"Good," he replied before kissing her again. She reached up and sank her fingers into his messy hair, twisting a few strands. Harry kept the kisses on the surface, waiting for her to offer or initiate further. Ginny parted her lips, allowing her tongue to dart out and flick across his lips, an open invitation he happily accepted. Ginny's body was tingling, heat coursing through her veins as their tongues began a duel. Harry shifted and gently lowered her to the ground, half hovering over her but far from being on top of her. He pulled his mouth away from hers and trailed a few kisses across her jaw.

"This ok?"

"Yeah," Ginny replied breathlessly and she felt Harry smile into her skin. She pulled him back to her mouth for another kiss, emitting a soft gasp as he drew soft circles on her waist over her tank top. He wouldn't go further, she knew for certain, but the simple gesture was setting her skin on fire.

Gradually the kisses slowed, until Harry finally pulled away with a last peck, lying down beside her. Ginny took deep breaths, her body slowly calming down. Opening her palm, she let a flame come to the surface and she idly switched it from hand-to-hand, aware that Harry was watching in fascination. She didn't often bring it out.

"It looks like it's dancing," he said softly. Indeed the tongue of fire was flickering and twisting in a rhythmical motion.

Ginny shrugged. "I'm happy."

"Good," Harry replied, pulling her snug against his side.

* * *

><p>Late that night, Harry was woken when the bed dipped beside him with the weight of another person. The scent of strawberries immediately filled his nostrils.<p>

"Ginny?" he asked quietly. She didn't acknowledge him and he lit his wand, startled to find her with her face buried in the pillow and her shoulder shaking silently. Despite his best efforts, Ginny refused to talk or look at him, eventually crying herself to sleep. Harry watched over her until his own eyes closed again, and when he woke up in the morning she was gone.


	22. Scare

_I'll stop the whole world_

_I'll stop the whole world  
><em>

_From turning into a monster  
><em>

_And eating us alive  
><em>

**Chapter 21: Scare**

* * *

><p>"You're up early," Harry commented lightly, finding Ginny nearly done with her morning run.<p>

She shrugged. "Didn't want to waste the morning away."

"Want to tell me what that was last night?" Harry asked, leaning against the doorway, hands in his pockets.

Ginny gave him a quizzical look. "What was what?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. She was going to play the denial card.

"You came into my room upset, but you wouldn't talk to me."

Ginny stared at him in confusion. "No I didn't." Harry narrowed his eyes slightly. She was an awfully good actress when she wanted to be.

"Must have been a dream then." He shrugged it off, not wanting to press the issue and setting their relationship back. She would tell him when she was good and ready, or he could prise it out of her at a later stage.

Ginny pressed the button to stop the treadmill and jumped off, taking a sip from her water bottle and wiping her face with a towel. Harry dropped a light kiss on her lips, quickly backing off when she jerked in surprise.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm not used to that."

"Too much?" Harry questioned.

"No," she smiled at him. "Just unexpected. But quite welcome."

Harry grinned back at her and she followed him into the office.

"Morning," Sirius said from his position at one of the computers.

"Anything up?" Harry asked, looking at the screen over his shoulder. Sirius shrugged.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Things are pretty quiet. It looks like the other night has them a bit spooked and they're all laying low for a while."

Harry nodded. "Good. I'm off in half an hour or so, I've a meeting with MI5. Just the usual routine stuff."

"Did you want some company?" Ginny asked and Harry turned to her, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea…it'd be good for them to get to recognise you now that you're working with us, and you should know how this side of the operation works. Can you be ready in twenty?"

Ginny nodded. "Is there a dress code?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not exactly dressed up. Just look nice…smart casual."

"Ok," Ginny excused herself and dashing up the stairs.

Sirius turned to Harry. "You've changed your tune a little," he commented.

Harry sent him a slight glare and Sirius raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright! I get it!"

"Make sure you do," Harry warned him. He wasn't going to put up with bullshit where Ginny was concerned.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure I'm not underdressed?" Ginny muttered to Harry as they walked to the elevator, taking in the pressed suits and business attire most people were sporting. She felt a little out of place in her skinny jeans and leather jacket, although she had put on a pair of pumps rather than boots.<p>

"Nah," Harry reassured her. "These guys work here, they're required to dress professionally. The people we're meeting with won't care and in any case they're used to me. I certainly never dress up."

"What's this meeting about?" Ginny asked as Harry pressed the buttons inside the elevator.

"They come around about once a month. Because we cooperate with MI5, we do have an obligation to keep them in the loop, and vice versa. Obviously we don't go spilling all our secrets to each other, but information is exchanged. It's in their best interests, as they are responsible for internal security in England for the muggles, to be aware of Voldemort. Once he's completely subjugated the wizarding world, we all know he'll be after the muggle world as well. As for us, they're one of our biggest sources of intelligence. We can't possibly monitor the whole country for Death Eater activity. They let us know when a situation arises that they can't handle. But today should just be bringing things up to speed."

"Ok," Ginny replied. The elevator dinged and came to a stop and Harry motioned for her to exit when the doors opened. They made their way down the corridors, passing people on their way, a few of which seemed to know Harry and nodded as they passed. They came to a door and Harry knocked. It opened and Ginny followed him in.

It was a large room on the side of the building with huge glass sides. A small group of people sat around the table and Ginny recognised the man at the head as one of the men Harry had introduced her to at the palace. She searched her memory for his name. Jonathan Evans. Yes, that was it. He rose and moved around to shake Harry's hand.

"Harry, " he said. "And Miss Weasley I believe?" he offered his hand to Ginny and she shook it.

"Call me Ginny, please," she said and he smiled.

"Of course," he replied. "Take a seat, you're right on time."

Harry led Ginny to a pair of chairs on one side of the table and she sat. Quickly Harry introduced her to the others in the room.

"Right," Jonathan said. "Harry, did anything come of the raid near Bristol the other day?"

Harry blew out a breath. "There were about twenty Death Eaters in two locations. We split into two teams to take care of them. Sirius managed to refrain from bombing the crap out of the place."

There were a few chuckles at Harry's last statement and Ginny guessed it was something of an inside joke.

"The Death Eater casualties were complete and the four of us came out minus any…injuries."

Ginny noticed his slight hesitation at the end and looking around the table, the several raised eyebrows indicated that the others had too.

"No injuries?" a man across from her inquired.

"None," Harry replied, his face an impassive mask, his eyes locking with the other man's.

Jonathan cleared his throat. "Moving on," he said. Ginny nudged Harry with her elbow and he pulled his gaze away from the person opposite and glanced down at her, a slightly apologetic look on his face.

"I assume by Miss-_Ginny's _presence that she is part of your group now?"

Harry and Ginny both nodded. "Correct." Harry spoke for her.

"You never did give us any details of what went on in that manor like you usually do?" The man across from Ginny, the one Harry didn't seem to get along with and whose name Ginny finally put her finger on (it was Ethan).

"That's because it's not important." Harry glared at the man.

"Not important?" Ethan repeated. "I'd say it certainly is important."

"Ethan," the director cautioned but the man waved him aside.

"No, I want to know. This information would help us to understand these dark wizards better."

Harry pushed his chair back, shaking Ginny's hand off his arm.

"What happened to Ginny," he said in a low voice, "is none of your concern."

"Miss Weasley?" Ethan turned to her, giving her a charming smile, probably meant to be reassuring, but it made Ginny's insides squirm. She'd seen smiles like that before and they never accompanied anything good.

"I don't think its any of your business," Ginny told him, crossing her arms over her chest and doing her best to keep her face blank.

"I really must insist-"

"What do you bloody well think happened?" Ginny snapped, fed up with his prying. "If you can't figure out enough on your own, I don't think you should be in this room."

She looked around to see everyone else staring at her, a couple in shock, the director attempting to remain neutral but she was certain she saw a hint of smiling approval in his gaze. Harry was smirking slightly at her and she rolled her eyes back at him.

"Sorry," she apologised. She'd been out of line, as far as practically shouting at the man went. Of course he shouldn't have been prying…but the fact of the matter was that she was technically a guest and he wasn't.

"No need, Ginny," Jonathan waved it off.

"Are we done with this?" Harry asked, staring at Ethan. The other man nodded curtly.

"Good," Harry replied. "Now-what the fuck?" He was staring out the window and as Ginny turned to look, he yelled.

"Get down!" Ginny reacted instantly, diving under the table along with everyone else, rolling to a crouching position on the other side. The glass windows exploded, shards flying everywhere and she hastily conjured a shield. She heard Harry's gun being shot and when she looked again, there were several figures on brooms, wands aloft and firing curses inside.

"Fuck," she swore, following Harry's lead and taking her gun out rather than her wand. "Stay down," she hissed to the others, all of who were about to pull out weapons as well. They didn't know how to deal with magic effectively, despite the intelligence they'd been given by Harry. She fired twice, using the now upturned table as a shield. Harry clearly didn't want either of them using magic, else she knew he would be.

He was still standing, face knotted in concentration. The wizards, whoever they were, were adapt at avoiding the bullets, or has some sort of shielding on their bodies. Ginny finally managed to get out and smiled grimly when he lost control of his broom and dropping his wand in the process. Three were down, two still firing curses at them.

Chancing a quick glance at Harry, her brow furrowed. He was planning something, she could tell. Even as she tried to figure out what it was whilst continuing to fire at the remaining attackers, as if in slow motion, she saw him back up, take a running start and leap out the window. It was quite a distance, the wizards having stayed some metres from the actual building.

Ginny's brain finally registered what was actually happening and heart in her mouth; she watched Harry reach out and grab one of the brooms, using his momentum to swing up to mount it, quickly engaging in a hand-to-hand battle with the wizard. Returning to her senses completely, she fired two more bullets at the remaining attacker, both hitting their mark. She leapt over the table, quickly followed by the other men just in time to see Harry and the man he was fighting fall off their broom.

"Harry!" She screamed, beginning to run to the empty window herself to try and do _something _when someone, she didn't know who, grabbed her from behind.

"Don't be stupid!" he shouted at her. "You've got one of those wands, damn well use it!"

Ginny could have kicked herself. She was a witch for Merlin's sake. She wriggled free of the arms around her and pulled her wand out, slowing Harry's fall just in time for him to float gently to the ground. She disregarded the other wizard, although she flinched a little when she saw him hit the ground with a sickening crack.

"Are there wards around this building?" She turned to the director and groaned when he nodded.

"Harry and Sirius put them up."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm going down," she said. The others nodded. "We'll be there soon," someone said.

Ginny exited the room, her pace quickening to a flat out sprint. She tore town the corridors, forsaking the elevator for the stairs. More than a few people stared at her as she rocketed past, a few calling out after her but she ignored them all. She burst out the front doors and dashed around the side of the building, pushing through the gathered grounds, bypassing the police already on the scene and dropping to her knees next to Harry.

"Harry!"

He opened his eyes with a soft moan and struggled to a sitting position. Ginny felt the immense relief sweep through her and she gasped in several breaths.

"Don't you ever, ever fucking do that to me again!"

Harry cracked a grin. "Sorry," he said and Ginny shook her head.

"You're an idiot," she said, more softly this time.

"I know," he replied.

"Are you alright?"

"Mhm," he grunted. "I'll be fine. He just landed a few good blows is all."

Ginny dropped her head into her hands, trying to keep the tears back. Logically she knew crying was a natural reaction after the adrenaline wore off and the shock set in, but she didn't want him to see.

"Hey," Harry said softly, shifting closer to her and wrapping his arms around her. "I'm fine, alright?"

She nodded, forcing the tears away and raising her head when she was certain she wasn't going to start blubbering. Harry kissed her softly and she sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder.

"You scared me," she whispered.

"Sorry," he murmured in reply, then gave her a quick once over to satisfy himself that she was unharmed.

"How the bloody hell did you run in those?" he asked her, pointing to her shoes. Ginny stared at him. She hadn't even realised she'd run full tilt in her pumps. It must have been the adrenaline.

"Excuse me?" They both looked up to find a police officer standing above them. "We need a statement from both of you…"

Harry shrugged and got to his feet, grimacing a little as he did so. He offered his hand to Ginny and pulled her up.

"If I could have your names please," the officer continued.

"Harry Potter," he said. "And this is Ginny Weasley."

The officer's eyes widened. "Potter?" he repeated. Harry nodded.

"Perhaps if we came down to the station?"

* * *

><p>Harry apparated Ginny back to the house, putting them in the garage. It had been a long few hours, giving statements, sorting things out with MI5 and the body retrieval. And despite what he'd told Ginny, he did hurt. Some of the glass had hit him, along with a couple of stray curses.<p>

"You need to get checked over," Ginny said, seeming to read his mind.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. She began to lead him to the door but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, turning her back to him. She raised her eyebrows in question and he tugged her closer still, cupping her cheek with one hand and sliding the other down to the small of her back. He kissed her, softly at first but deepening it when she responded. Ginny flicked her tongue across his lower lip and he eagerly parted them. Their tongues tangled and Harry lost himself in the kiss. Kissing Ginny was bliss, better by far than any other girl he'd ever kissed. She was intoxicating and he felt like her couldn't get enough.

Eventually the need to breath overtook the need to kiss and Harry broke it reluctantly, staring into Ginny's eyes. Her lips were a little swollen and her breathing heavier than usual.

"I could definitely get used to that," she breathed and he pulled her in for a hug.

"Me too," he replied.

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry this update took ages! I got stuck in the middle...the next few chapters could be slow in coming as well. Sorry.<p>

I did write an entire chapter the other day for the future though. It involved Ginny, Harry and Dumbledore...and that's all I'm going to say. I'm afraid you have to wait a little while for that one though!


End file.
